Digicross: Tales of the Digidestined
by Patrick O'Shea
Summary: Why should Ryoko and Hitomi have all the fun? The other children have their own stories to tell...
1. Default Chapter

==30 Years ago, digital world  
  
"We did it!" Ken shouted, high-fiving Ryo. As they watched, Dino Beemon's Kaiser Blade swung down, splitting Milleniumon in half, shattering the monster's digicore. However, Ken saw something emerging from the wreckage. There was a sharp bang, as a swarm of small black objects shot out, aimed at the two digidestined.  
  
"Ryo! Look out! AUUUUGHHHHH!" Ken felt a stabbing pain in his neck, as one of the objects buried itself in him. Unnoticed, the rest of the small objects flew on, scattering themselves all over the digital world.  
  
Over the years, battles raged, and the digital world itself was warped, first into Spiral Mountain, then reformed into a pattern resembling the Pokemon World. Many of the small objects lost their power and disintegrated. Ken and Ryo never gave the incident another thought, believing that only the spore that had hit Ken was the only one to survive. They never knew that at least one survived, or that the Dark Spores themselves were actually created from digital data culled from Parasimon, a digimon that feeds on the dark impulses of its host, while boosting the host's abilities...  
  
===  
  
"Why...Why did they leave me...?"  
  
Farfetch'd Productions presents...  
  
"Will I lose everyone?"  
  
A Digimon: Digicross Special...  
  
"There's nothing left for me here..."  
  
Digicross Tamers Special 01 -  
  
'Resist Parasimon!'  
  
Digimon and Pokemon were not created by me. Those credits go to Bandai and Satoshi Tajiri respectively. Also, credits to Gullwhacker, Seth Turtle, Kyle Evanick, Scott Evans, whoever created Digimon World 3, and, as always, the Digicross Mailing List, where all the fiddly little errors are pikced out.   
  
I mean picked. See? I don't post anything until they've checked it ^_^  
  
==New Bark Town, present day  
  
Kyoko Kamiya stepped through the door. "Mom? Dad? Emiko? Hello?" She looked around, but saw no-one home. She sighed. Since Hitomi and Ryoko had left, her parents had been kept busy trying to bring the young digidestined home, or at least keep track of them. During the last call, Kyoko had learned that Ryoko had managed to find Kouji (Digicross Frontier episode 9), and that Hitomi's partner Eevee had managed to reach his Ultimate level of digivolution (Digicross Tamers episode 20).  
  
"Everyone's gone for the day." A small white digimon with a silver ring on her tail said. Gatomon, Kyoko's partner, ran over to greet the girl. "Emiko was getting a fever, so Kari had to take her to the doctor's office, she'll be back in a few hours. And Izzy had to go to Pallet Town to talk with Professor Oak. He'll be back tomorrow night."  
  
"Same as usual, then." Kyoko sighed again. She trudged up to her room, tossing her schoolbag in the corner of her room. It was Thursday, but school was out tomorrow, Kyoko had heard the teachers were having a big conference in Ecruteak City.  
  
"Are you alright?" Gatomon asked. "It's tough, with Ryoko and Hitomi missing, isn't it? I miss Sneasel and Eevee too."  
  
"Yeah." Kyoko agreed. "I just..."  
  
Gatomon looked up. "Just what?"   
  
"Forget it. It's nothing."  
  
Gatomon smiled a bit. "You're-"  
  
"DON'T SAY THAT!" Kyoko shouted suddenly. Terrified, Gatomon jumped back. "Just...don't." Her digimon partner nodded, not sure how to reply. Suddenly, Kyoko stood up. "I'm going to Sam's place. Tell mom I'll be back later."  
  
==  
  
"Annnd...Finish it now!" Kate yelled. Chas, a fierce looking Houndour, growled, and dashed forward, seizing Hitmonlee's foot in its jaws. With a hard yank, the fighting pokemon was pulled over, Houndour jumping on Hitmonlee's back and staring hard at the back of the fighter, air rippling around his open mouth, showing how much heat had built up.  
  
"Alright, I give up!" the other trainer called, waving his arms. "Hitmonlee, return! That was a tough match. I'll have to challenge you again when I get stronger."  
  
Kate Evanick, kneeling down and scratching Chas between his ears, grinned fiercely. "By that time, I'll have gotten a lot stronger too."  
  
"Kate..." Tsukaimon, a small purple and white digimon said from the sidelines. "Post match courtesy? Honestly, this generation..."  
  
"Alright...geez, let me enjoy a bit of my win." She looked up, meeting the other trainer's eyes. "I look forward to challenging you again. There, happy now? That flying football is such a pain sometimes."  
  
"Oh, I'd listen to him." Another voice called. Kate winced as her brother, Tobias, jumped down from the stairway he was sitting on. Beside him, a Kunemon lowered his head, shaking it. "Nice match, especially that last move. Of course, I can think of one other trainer you'd like to try that on. Maybe..."  
  
"PUT A SOCK IN IT!" Kate yelled, picking up and hurling an empty garbage can at her brother. Long used to this kind of response, Tobias side-stepped the projectile. This of course left him open to the choke-hold Kate immediately put on him.  
  
"Umm...should he be turning that shade of blue?" the trainer asked, watching the two siblings fight (Well, 'watching Kate throttle her idiot brother in Simpsonesque fashion' is more accurate -ed).  
  
"You get used to it." Kunemon said sadly. "Don't worry about them, they're always like this."  
  
"If you consider 'homicidal tendencies' normal." Tsukaimon added, nodding towards Kate. "At least towards her brother."  
  
"Well, Toby putting his foot in his mouth doesn't help any." Kunemon replied. "Ah, we have company. Kyoko! Over here!"  
  
Kate looked up, caught mid-fratricide. "Kyoko? Hey, long time!"  
  
Kyoko looked up. "Kate, Toby. How are you?" she asked. Gatomon, a few feet behind her, followed quietly, not looking up from the road.  
  
"Fine." Toby said, gasping for air. "Shameful, really. I say one thing and Miss Self-Destruct here decides to tear my head off."  
  
Kyoko gave a rueful smile. "Yeah. Sisters are like that." she said quietly.  
  
"You're agreeing with him? Okay, now I know something's wrong!" Kate said. "What happened?"  
  
"Nothing." Kyoko said sharply. "I just needed to get out for a while."  
  
Tsukaimon nodded. "Any word?" he asked gently (unusual for him -ed).  
  
Kyoko was quiet for a few seconds. "They're fine. I'm sorry, I have to go."  
  
Kate looked up. "Uhh...I heard that Sam might be up in Goldenrod National Park. His folks are visiting the Melins there."  
  
Kyoko nodded, eyes brightening a bit. "Thanks." She ran off, Gatomon speeding up to follow her.  
  
Kunemon nudged Tobias' leg as Kyoko and Gatomon left. "I'm worried. She's been a bit edgy for the last few weeks. I think Ryoko and Hitomi not being here has hit her pretty hard."  
  
Tobias nodded. "Ahh, she'll be okay. If she's anything like Sakura, I know she can deal with it."  
  
Tsukaimon's ears perked up. "Don't you mean Ryoko?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah." Toby replied, confused. "Didn't I just say Ryoko?"  
  
"No, you said Sakura." Tsukaimon replied.  
  
"Oh?" Kate asked sweetly. "Something I should know about, brother dear?"  
  
"Wh...whaddaya mean?" Tobias protested. "So I got my names crossed, big deal."  
  
"Someone say my name?" Sakura Takenouchi asked, getting a 'GWAAHH!' from Tobias. A few yards behind her, Yamato, her brother, walked over.   
  
"Ahh...Ahh...Sakura-chan, it's nice to see you again." Tobias stammered, wondering why he was so tongue tied all of a sudden.  
  
Kate tried not to laugh. "'-chan'? That's sweet, Tobias." Sakura replied. "Hey, Yamato, hurry up!"  
  
"Where's Koromon?" Kunemon asked Sakura.  
  
"Oh, just went ahead with mom and dad to Aunt Kari's place. They in?" (Kari being, of course, the undisputed head of the household -ed)  
  
"I don't know, but I just saw Kyoko headed to the pokemon center. I think she's going to go visit Asuka in Goldenrod. Sam and his family should be there too." For some reason, a quiet alarm bell was ringing in the back of Kate's head.  
  
"Well," Yamato said, "it was partly for Kyoko's sake that we came. We heard she wasn't doing so well."  
  
"So we thought we'd come cheer her up. And see if we can get Kari and Izzy to take a break and come visit. I mean, I want to get Hitomi and Ryoko home too, but it's like all the Kamiyas are going nuts."  
  
"Sakura." Yamato said quietly, placing a hand on her arm.  
  
"I think they need it." Kate replied. "When Kyoko was here just now, she looked really...I don't know, almost lost. Maybe Sam can get through to her, she always listens to him."  
  
Tobias cocked an eyebrow. "Sounds familiar." A second later, Kate's fist landed on the back of his head.  
  
==Goldenrod Pokemon Center  
  
Kyoko stepped out of the center, having just used a Digiport to get to where Sam was. He'll know what to do, she thought to himself. Whatever happens, he won't leave me.  
  
"Kyoko? Kyoko, we should go back." Gatomon said, tumbling out of the Pokemon center. "Kari is gonna be worried."  
  
"Soon." Kyoko replied, quickening her pace. "I just need to see Sam, that's all."  
  
==Park  
  
It was the perfect opportunity. Sam and his family had come here to visit Asuka and her parents. Asuka was interested in joining in the next Bug Catching contest, as was Sam. They had gotten here ahead of schedule, so the two families decided to pay a visit to the park. Of course, both sets of parents had 'conveniently' let Sam and Asuka slip away.  
  
Calm down, Sam thought. You've been carrying this for about four years now, you can do it. Just come on out and tell her. He swallowed, and looked up at Asuka.  
  
Calm down, Asuka thought. You've been carrying this for about four years now, you can do it. Just come on out and tell him. She swallowed, and looked up at Sam.  
  
"I-" both started to say, then stopped.  
  
"No, you first." Sam insisted.  
  
Asuka nodded. "Well...alright." She swallowed again, then went on. "We've known each other for a while, right?"  
  
Sam nodded. "Practically all our lives."  
  
"Well, it's just that, over the last few years, I...Ikindahavethismassive crushonyouandohgodIcan'tbelieveIjusttoldyouthat."  
  
Sam gasped, stepping back. He had dreamed of something like this happening, even allowed himself a quick fantasy about it, but he hadn't dared hope. His first reaction surprised even him. He chuckled, then started laughing.  
  
Asuka stared at Sam, near tears. "Wh...whaaa..."  
  
Sam managed to recover. "It's just that..." he calmed a bit, then looked into Asuka's eyes. "I came here to tell you the same thing."  
  
==  
  
Kyoko picked her way through the brush. In her hand, she held her digivice, tracking Sam's D-3, closing on his position. "Kyoko, we should go home, you're not well."  
  
"I feel fine." Kyoko replied.  
  
"Kyoko, wait. Look, I don't know what's going on with you, and I'm really scared. Please, I don't want you doing something you'll regret. Kari's home by now, she's probably really worried."  
  
"I'll be fine, I just-" she turned, took two steps forward, broke through the brush, and saw Sam and Asuka kissing each other. "No..." she whispered.  
  
Asuka looked up, and saw Kyoko there. "Kyoko? Oh-" She stepped away from Sam. "Kyoko, I can explain-"  
  
"Sam?" Kyoko stared at Sam, who just looked away. With a sob, Kyoko turned and ran away, nearly trampling Gatomon in the process.  
  
Several yards away TK looked up, hearing something crashing through the brush. A second later, Kyoko burst through, running back towards the park entrance, followed closely by Gatomon and, a second later, Asuka and Sam. "Kari? No, Kyoko! What's up?" Asuka's Patamon and Sam's Wormmon instinctively ran off after their partners. He glanced at his wife.   
  
"I'll get Ken and Yolei." Crystal said. "Get going."  
  
==New Bark Town  
  
Kate, Tobias, Sakura, and Yamato made their way back to Kyoko's home, unaware of what had happened in Goldenrod. Kate glanced at Yamato. "Hey, what happened to you?" she asked, indicating a faint black smudge under his right eye.  
  
Palmon, walking alongside Yamato, looked at the ground. "He got into another fight."  
  
Tobias glanced at Yamato. "Whaa? No way, Yamato's not the type to go picking fights."  
  
"Just drop it, please?" Yamato answered, voice pained. "Mom and Dad already reamed me out for it."  
  
Kate frowned. "It's that jerk Masaharu, isn't it?" Yamato didn't reply. "Look, if you want me to settle that guy's hash, just say the word already."  
  
"No." Yamato replied. "I can handle it. I have to."  
  
Sakura sighed. "Masaharu was picking on Palmon again." Yamato looked at Sakura, aghast. "That was when Yamato hit him. Got him good, too."  
  
"What else could I do?" Yamato answered, looking at Palmon. "I have to stand up for my partner digimon, don't I?"  
  
"Well, you could start by ducking." Kate replied. That got a small smile out of Yamato. Her pokegear chose that moment to ring. "Hello? Whaaa? She didn't...She did, great. Alright, I'll go help look for her. No, she hasn't been this way. Look, I can search with my digivice too...Don't worry. I'll be there ASAP." She glanced at the others. "That was Mr. Inoue, Kyoko flipped out and ran off, no-one knows where. I'm going to go help look, the rest of you go back to her home, alright?"  
  
"But-" Sakura protested. "We can help too."  
  
"We'll need someone to tell Mr. and Ms. Takenouchi." Kate replied. She turned and ran for the pokemon center. She looked back, and saw Yamato and Palmon running to catch up with her. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Kyoko's *gasp* my cousin." Yamato replied. "Besides, mom was still trying to think of a punishment for me when we got here."  
  
Kate grinned. "Delaying the inevitable?"  
  
"Make that 'community service.'" Palmon answered, as they reached the door and made for the computer. "Tai's always a sucker from brownie points." Kate stopped at the computer and started setting co-ordinates. "Whereabouts did Kyoko come out? Is she in the Digital World?"  
  
"Yeah." Kate said. "There's a Kunemon village nearby, she might have been seen by one of the digimon living there. Hey, where's Tobias? That jerk'd normally be begging to come along."  
  
Yamato smiled a bit. "Sakura asked Tobias to come along with her. You know how he is." Palmon was about to add something, but Yamato placed a hand over his partner digimon's mouth.  
  
"Digiport open!"  
  
==  
  
Kyoko half-tumbled, half-staggered out of the Digiport. She hadn't paid any attention to the co-ordinates she had set, and was now rather lost. Not that she cared.  
  
"They're all laughing at me, I know it." Kyoko sobbed. "Even Sam. No one needs me, no one at all..."  
  
As she stumbled away, a small object glowed black, and rose out of the earth. The Dark Spores were attracted to negative feelings, and the girl was positively swimming in the energies that helped it grow and develop. It sped forward, and slammed into the back of Kyoko's neck. With a strangled cry, she fell over.  
  
==  
  
"Kyoko? Kyoko!" Ken yelled. A short distance away, Yolei was also looking for the girl. "Kyoko! Where-" Ken gasped, falling to his knees. Instinctively, his hand went to the back of his neck.  
  
Yolei saw her husband fall over, and ran to his side. "Ken? What's wrong?"  
  
"No..." Ken gasped. "Please, no...NOT HER!" Suddenly, he got up and ran off, terrified look in his eyes. Please, Ken thought, don't do this to her.  
  
==  
  
"Kyoko!" Sam yelled, voice hoarse. "Please, come back!"  
  
"Kyoko!" Asuka also shouted. She glanced at her D-3. "I can't find her signal. Where could she be? KYOKO!" She sat down, head in her hands. "I shouldn't have said anything. Now she probably hates both of us!"  
  
Wormmon, Sam's partner, looked up. "I'm sure we can explain it to her. Sam, why not digivolve me to Shadramon? I can search more easily by air."  
  
"I can help too!" Patamon, Asuka's partner added. "I...Hey, there she is! Kyoko!" Patamon flew over to Kyoko, just visible in the distance.  
  
Sam and Asuka looked in the direction Patamon was flying. "Hey, it is! KYOKO!" Sam yelled, running over to Kyoko. Asuka followed closely. "Kyoko, I'm so sorry! I can explain everything, really!"  
  
Kyoko looked up. Sam gasped. "Kyoko..." her eyes were glowing!  
  
"GET DOWN!" Gatomon yelled, tackling Sam. He fell to the ground, just missing the black, spectral tentacle that appeared and tried to hit him. "Something took her over! You have to get away!"  
  
"No!" Asuka yelled. "Kyoko! It's me, your friend!"  
  
"Friend?" Kyoko looked up, as if unfamiliar with the word.  
  
"Yes. You remember me, right? Kyoko..."  
  
"I...remember..."  
  
Asuka nodded, stepping forward. "That's right. I-" Asuka's voice was cut off as another tentacle appeared, wrapping itself around Asuka's throat, lifting her off the ground! Patamon hesitated, instinct to defend Asuka clashing with his fear of hurting Kyoko.  
  
"Don't do it!" Gatomon jumped, and swiped at the tentacle, breaking its hold. Asuka dropped to the ground. "Kyoko, these are your friends!"  
  
"I have no friends." Kyoko replied, voice still quiet, almost a monotone.  
  
"What about me?" Gatomon demanded, turning to face Kyoko. "Listen to me, please!"  
  
"Gato...mon?" Kyoko's voice seemed to go up a bit. "Help..." she gasped, then her face went expressionless. Her D-3, still in her hand, seemed to crackle, then turned black. With a howl, Gatomon's fur also went black, matching the change in the digivice.  
  
"What's happening?" Sam gasped, stepping back. He heard wings flapping, and saw Aquilamon, Ken and Yolei riding him, fly towards them. "Kyoko, just wait there."  
  
"Black Gatomon, attack." Kyoko commanded. Nodding, the possessed digimon jumped at Sam, claws extended. Patamon and Wormmon both tackled her, trying to restrain her.  
  
Aquilamon landed, Ken and Yolei jumping off. "Kyoko! Please, wait, don't...no. Kyoko, please, dear god, not this..." Ken gasped.  
  
"What's happening to her?" Asuka asked, stunned. Kyoko had...attacked Sam?  
  
"A Dark Spore, like what was put in me." Ken replied, hollow. He ran over to Kyoko. "Kyoko, wait, I know what's happening to you. You have to fight it!"  
  
"Black Gatomon." Kyoko said coldly, clutching her digivice. Wordlessly, her partner glowed, growing before everyone's eyes. Seconds later, Black Gatomon's evolution completed itself, Lady Devimon standing impassively before the digidestined.   
  
"Kyoko..." Asuka gasped. As the digidestined watched, Lady Devimon picked up Kyoko and flew away silently.  
  
Yolei took out a portable phone. "She's heading west." She said into it. "Be careful, she's been taken over by a Dark Spore. Yes, one of those, now get on it! Who's in that area?"  
  
==  
  
Yamato stared at the phone. "Right. We'll do what we can."  
  
"Don't you dare!" Yolei's voice came out of the phone, causing Yamato to flinch. "We don't know what she's capable of. So just keep an eye on her and DON'T APPROACH HER!" Yamato nodded, switching the phone off.  
  
"Bad news?" Kate asked.   
  
"Kyoko's headed this way."  
  
"Great. Maybe we can smack some sense into her." Kate answered.  
  
"There's more. She's got a Dark Spore in her, like the one Mr. Inoue had when he was the Digimon Emperor."  
  
Tsukaimon stared at Yamato. "That's impossible! I thought they were all destroyed!"  
  
Palmon shook her head. "Well, Ryo always said that a whole bunch of those things were released when he and Ken beat Milleniumon. Kyoko must have accidentally stumbled across one." Unconsciously, Palmon shivered. "What is that weird feeling I'm getting?"  
  
Yamato looked at Palmon, concerned. "What's wrong?"  
  
Tsukaimon looked around "I feel it too." He said. "I think it's the location."  
  
"A Kunemon village?" Kate asked.  
  
"Yeah," Tsukaimon replied, "but remember, this used to be where Myotismon's castle was. The Kunemon here wanted to reclaim the place after he was gone and the castle destroyed." Chas started growling. Looking up, they saw a dark figure approaching from the sky. Slowly, Lady Devimon landed, placing Kyoko on the ground. Yamato gasped; Kyoko seemed to be utterly emotionless now, eyes blank. Also, her digivice, still in her hand, was now jet black.  
  
Kate stepped forward. "Okay, Kyoko, just snap out of it, alright? I don't want to hurt you."  
  
A small smile crept across Kyoko's face. "Too bad." She replied quietly. "Lady Devimon." She commanded, pointing at Kate. Kate gasped as the fallen angel stepped forward, fingernails extending on one of her hands.  
  
"Tsukaimon, digivolve to...Wizardmon! Thunder Cloud!" A bolt of electricity shot out, but was ignored by Lady Devimon. His Magic Game was similarly ignored. Yamato stepped back, terrified.  
  
"Yamato, let me help him!" Palmon urged. "We have to stop her, or there's no telling who she'll hurt!"  
  
"But-"  
  
"Do it!" Kate yelled. "If we don't stop her now, she'll only get worse! And she'll feel even worse when we do get her back, the longer we let this go on!"  
  
Hesitantly, Yamato nodded, letting Palmon go. Alright, Palmon reasoned, I'll just tie up Kyoko with my Poison Ivy, then knock her out with my Stinky Stench (I'm not making this up, this is one of Palmon's attacks! -ed) "PoisonURK!" Palmon gasped as a black tentacle shot out and grabbed her by the throat. And the attack had come from Kyoko!  
  
"Palmon!" Yamato called. "Kyoko, let her go!"  
  
"So she can attack again?" Kyoko replied, in the same quiet voice. "Better to dispose of her now." Calmly, she focused on throttling Palmon. Lady Devimon kept Wizardmon at bay, as well as preventing Kate from sending in any pokemon to help.  
  
"Palmon...LET HER GO!" Yamato suddenly roared, charging forward. Caught unawares, Kyoko was knocked down as Yamato slammed into her in an improvised shoulder-check. The tentacle disintegrated, releasing Palmon.  
  
"Whoa..." Kate gasped. That was quite unlike the Yamato she knew.  
  
"You...hit me." Kyoko said, surprised. "I see." Standing, she held out her hand, releasing a blast of dark energy, sending Yamato, Kate, and Palmon away. Lady Devimon backhanded Wizardmon, then switched back to Black Gatomon, running over to Kyoko's side. "I will leave this world, then, and find a place where I am wanted. Come after me and I will kill you." Confident that her opponents were sufficiently dealt with, Kyoko strode away.  
  
A few minutes later, she found a small pile of stones. The Dark Spore inside her sent orders to her arms, commanding her to clear the stones away. Again she raised a hand, and a bolt of dark energy lashed out, blasting the pile, revealing a small hole in the ground, just large enough for her to climb down. She did so, and found an old chamber, untouched for decades.  
  
Though badly damaged and neglected, the main parts of the chamber Kyoko found herself in were still useable. A gigantic metal door stood at one end, with a small pedestal with nine rectangles carved into its surface near the doors. Around the rectangles were carvings, though these had faded over time. Energy crackled over the pedestal as Kyoko approached. Five of the rectangles glowed, and the doors began to creak open.  
  
"Kyoko!" Yamato yelled, half-climbing, half-falling down the hole, Palmon, Kate, and Wizardmon following him. "What...it can't be."  
  
"That's the gate Myotismon used to go to the Human World. Is that where you're going?" Palmon asked. Kyoko didn't reply, merely making a gesture towards one of the boulders. It shook, and a large black dragon emerged. "Devidramon!" Palmon gasped. "No! He'll bring the whole room down around us!"  
  
"No he won't!" There was a great crash, as the stones around the hole that the digidestined had come through were pulled away, and a huge blue and red reptile tore through the ground, wrestling Devidramon to the ground.   
  
For a second, Kate tried to figure out which digidestined had come to their rescue, then she realised that the new monster was in fact a pokemon, Salamance! And she knew this one, too...  
  
"Baha?" Kate gasped. "Then..."  
  
"You know, you're probably going to be grounded for the next decade for this stunt," an adult said, climbing down the hole. With him was another Wizardmon. "Step away from the dimensional gateway, and I think I can get Kari down to five years."  
  
"Mr. Seth?" Yamato gasped.  
  
The man nodded. "I was in the area, and I saw you two going down here. Baha, take Devidramon outside, alright?" With a grunt, the dragon lifted the digimon and dragged it outside. "Okay, just move back from the portal, and we'll go home, OK?" Seth breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Gatomon, still black, clamber up Kyoko's arm. Then he watched in horror as Kyoko turned and darted through the portal. A second later, Kate, Yamato, and their digimon ran after her, heedless of the danger.  
  
Two seconds later, Seth and Wizardmon were alone in the chamber. Furious, Seth kicked the wall, then took out a cellphone and called Ken.  
  
==  
  
When Kate came to, she found herself, Tsukaimon, Yamato, and Palmon in a forest. "Did we get blown out of that hole? Hey, purple football, you okay?"  
  
"Fine thanks, and it's Tsukaimon." The digimon growled, getting to his feet. "I wonder what world this is?"  
  
"World?" Kate then remembered going through the portal after Kyoko. "Right, almost forgot. Gahh, my head." She jumped as Yamato suddenly gave a cry. "What's wrong?"  
  
"My digivice is gone!" Yamato was looking around, checking his belt, pockets, anywhere it might be. Kate found that hers was missing as well.  
  
"I think that's it there." Tsukaimon said, indicating a spot over Kate's shoulder. Looking, she saw a small diamond shaped object, hovering in mid-air, glimmering faintly. "Maybe that's what digivices here look like. Didn't Hitomi's digivice change in that other world she went to?"  
  
"So, where are we?" Kate asked again. "Anyone seen Kyoko in the...minute since we woke up here?"  
  
"Someone's coming!" Tsukaimon hissed. "Hide!" Everyone dove into whatever bush or shrub they could find.  
  
"HELP ME!" a girl came crashing through the brush and ran right into Yamato, bowling him over.  
  
"Nice technique." Kate said dryly, as Yamato picked himself up. "But I think it works better if you hit on the girl verbally, yes?"  
  
The girl, a bit younger than Yamato from her looks, stood up. "My digimon went all nuts and started attacking everyone!"  
  
Kate and Tsukaimon glanced at each other. "I think we found Kyoko." Tsukaimon said quietly.  
  
"You know who's doing this?" the girl asked. Then she gasped. "Oh, my name's Arche, and my partner digimon is Monmon. I...hey, is that a Patamon?"  
  
"No, I'm Tsukaimon, Patamon's handsome relative!" Tsukaimon sniffed, feigning insult.  
  
"Woah. What server did you log in from?" Arche asked.  
  
"Server?" Yamato asked. "Uh, shouldn't we be trying to save your partner?"  
  
Arche nodded. "Yes, back that way!" She led the group back down the path she had made, to the sound of metal striking wood, rock, and the odd wandering digimon. "Monmon! Stop it!"  
  
"Destroy!" With a gleeful shout, Monmon pivoted the giant slingshot he had stuck in the ground around, and fired a large metal ball at the group. Yamato darted forward and knocked Arche out of the way.   
  
"Pepper Breath!" A bolt of black flame hit Monmon, driving the digimon back. A small black skinned dinosaur stepped into view. Monmon tried to recover, but the attacking digimon was too quick; it leaped over Monmon, then delivered a hard strike to the back of the monkey digimon's neck. Arche ran over, picking up her unconscious partner. "Don't worry, he's just unconscious."  
  
"A black Agumon?" Kate wondered.  
  
"I think it's a virus type."  
  
"That's me!" the digimon answered. "You must be new to this part." Agumon replied. "Haven't you heard? Digimon that go into this area can go berserk if they're not careful."  
  
"Hey! Agumon!" A boy, about Kate's age, ran over. "Why'd you take off like that?"  
  
"Monmon here was going nuts!" Agumon replied. "Naturally, I had to save the day."  
  
"Spare me." Kate sighed. "Hey, Yamato, come on!" Kate looked back, then did a double take.  
  
"Are you sure you're alright?" Arche said to Yamato. Palmon was off to one side, enjoying the spectacle.  
  
"Umm...yeah, I'm just fine, thanks." Yamato replied. "We have to go now, my cousin's lost somewhere around here."  
  
The boy looked up. "That's bad. If she's not careful, she could get roughed up, there's a nest of Dokugemon up over the hill."  
  
"Do you know the way?" Tsukaimon asked. "Maybe you could show us. When Kyoko left, she wasn't thinking too clearly."  
  
"Name doesn't ring a bell. Are you sure she came this way?" The boy asked.  
  
"It's the only lead we have." Kate answered. "She's about my height, brown hair, has a Gatomon with black fur for a partner."  
  
"Still nothing. Look, I know this part of the server pretty well, why don't I help? Scott Evans." Scott offered his hand.  
  
"Kate Evanick." Kate replied, shaking Scott's hand. "That's Yamato, the purple football is my partner Tsukaimon, and Palmon is Yamato's partner. And I have no idea what this floating thing is." She indicated the small floating diamond over her shoulder.  
  
"Your satellite?" Arche asked.   
  
"You mean this thing?" Yamato nodded to the small glowing object hovering over his shoulder.  
  
"Yes..." Scott answered, confused. "Everyone who comes to Digimon Online has a satellite."  
  
"Okay, just where are we?" Palmon demanded.  
  
"This is the Asuka server." Arche answered, confused by Palmon's question. "You're near the Protocol Ruins."  
  
==  
  
"Wake up...you must awake now, child."  
  
Kyoko opened her eyes, blinking slowly as her eyes adjusted to the lack of light. "Where...where am I? Gatomon? Gatomon!" Kyoko looked around, then saw her partner, and gasped as she saw how Gatomon had changed. "What happened?"  
  
"You did." the voice answered. Kyoko looked around, but could see no one else in the room she was in. "With my help, you were able to realise the truth."  
  
"Where am I? What did you do to Gatomon?"  
  
"Your world had rejected you, as it had me. We both had greater destinies, but we were cast aside, mere playthings for other beings. Do you not remember your beloved Sam? Or your sister, Ryoko? Or Hitomi, your other sister? Did you not feel envy as they left you and went beyond you? How they grew more powerful, while you were trapped?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"I was once a digimon, before Demon shattered me and made me into a collection of Dark Spores. One connected with one of the first digidestined, Ken Ichijouji. But the rest, the rest were lost." Kyoko placed a trembling hand on the back of her neck, shuddering as she felt the small scar there. "As time passed, the other spores died, until only one, the seed you now carry, remained. In it was my mind and spirit, which are now a part of you."  
  
"It can't be..." Kyoko whispered, shocked.  
  
"It can. We have both been rejected by the world of our birth, let us make a new start in this world. Let us begin." Suddenly, Kyoko shrieked as dark energy shot through her, passing out a few seconds later.  
  
==  
  
Yamato looked up. "Kyoko." he whispered.  
  
"What is it?" Kate asked. "Did you hear something?"  
  
"I think so. Is there anywhere a person might hide out around here?"  
  
Scott looked around. "Well, there are the Protocol Ruins. Nasty place if you're not careful."  
  
Black Agumon nodded. "We went through there a while ago. Hey, why don't we guide them through, Scott? Someone's gotta take care of the big nasty digimon."  
  
Kate frowned. "We can take care of ourselves,-"  
  
"But a guide sounds like a good idea." Tsukaimon interrupted. "Put a sock in it," he whispered to Kate, "we have no idea how things work here."  
  
"I know the place too," Arche added. "They changed the layout a bit during the upgrade last week, and put in some higher level monsters. Monmon and I were checking them out when he went crazy."  
  
"Sorry about that." Monmon said, getting up and rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
"Shouldn't be a problem." Scott answered. "MAGAMI's got a big reward for anyone who can solve this mystery."  
  
"How long has this been going on?" Palmon asked.  
  
"About a week now." Black Agumon said. "We had to come back through the Amaterasu Server. Glad they fixed the bug."  
  
Arche nodded. "Yeah, especially after that kid took down Galacticmon and helped break up the AoA. I wish I could have met him."  
  
Scott sighed. "Hey, that was last year. And wouldn't you rather watch a rising star like myself?"  
  
"You?" Black Agumon demanded. "I'm the one doing all the work!"  
  
Arche looked at Yamato. "I don't see too many people with a Palmon. You must have been lucky to get her." Yamato mumbled incomprehensibly. "Did you get an FMD credit?"  
  
"FMD?" Kate asked  
  
"Yeah. People who win an FMD credit can choose any digimon they want for a partner, or even create their own. If it's received well, it can become an official digimon!"  
  
"Yeah," Scott added, "that's how I got Black Agumon here."  
  
"I'm just the 'mon in black, digital defender!" The digimon started cackling.  
  
"Riiiight..." Palmon said uncertainly. "We should get going."   
  
"Hey, how does digivolution work here?" Kate asked.  
  
"Umm...you just tell your digimon to digivolve, and he does it." Scott answered uncertainly. "You must be new. Didn't you read the instructions when you logged in the first time?" Scott frowned a bit. "You know, the Protocol Ruins are a dangerous place. If your digimon aren't strong enough, then you shouldn't go in."  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Kate asked, voice hard.  
  
Blithely, Scott continued. "You heard me. If you can't even digivolve, then you'll just be in the way." Yamato winced, noticing the rather large vein pulsing over Kate's eyebrow. "But if you can beat me, then I'll take you."  
  
"Tsukaimon..." Kate growled. "Let's mop the floor with those two."  
  
"Umm..." Arche started, then stopped when Kate glared at her.  
  
Yamato pulled Arche back. "It's no use trying to talk to her when she's like this." he told her. "We'd better just let her get it out of her system."  
  
"Black Agumon, go!"  
  
"Black Agumon, digivolve to...Greymon!" A giant black and blue dinosaur replaced Agumon.  
  
Frantically, Kate tried to get Tsukaimon to digivolve, then gave up. "Get him!"  
  
Tsukaimon nodded, flying behind Greymon. "Sonic Jab!" he called, firing a blast of energy at Greymon. Surprisingly, the dinosaur digimon flinched when it hit.  
  
"Not bad...for a rookie! Dark Flare!" Tsukaimon dodged the massive fireball, landing rather ungracefully on the ground. He dodged a clumsy footstep, then flew up, attacking again.  
  
Yamato sighed. "They're going to be at it for a while. We should get back a bit."  
  
Arche nodded. "Sure. And please, call me Arche." Yamato nodded. "So, can Palmon digivolve? Monmon can become Hookmon, and he just learned Exveemon."  
  
"Learned?"  
  
Arche nodded. "Yeah. Digimon can learn more than one evolution line, it's a really neat feature. I want Monmon to be able to become all the Mega digimon someday."  
  
Yamato nodded. "I...I don't battle much. Sorry."  
  
Arche smiled. "That's okay. A lot of people go online just to play with digimon. Oh, I think Kate just figured it out."  
  
"Tsukaimon, digivolve to...Wizardmon!"  
  
Wizardmon, Scott thought, that's a really rare evolution. "Greymon, finish it before he attacks!"  
  
"Nice try!" Wizardmon replied. "Magic Game!" Wizardmon faded from sight, the reappeared behind Greymon. "Now, Thunder-Kate, DUCK!" Acting on instinct, Kate ducked and rolled, the fireball just missing her. "Thunder Cloud!" An electric bolt shot just past a tree, and a cry could be heard from just behind it. A digimon staggered out, still smoking.  
  
"Baromon!" Arche gasped. "Monmon!" Yelling, Monmon jumped and tackled Baronmon, clubbing the digimon with his slingshot. As the two grappled, Arche pulled out a small square. "Mach Chip!" she yelled, touching the square to the satellite over her shoulder. It flashed, faded, and Monmon's attacks sped up. Baronmon fell over, knocked out.  
  
Kate ran over. "Neat trick." she said to Arche, who nodded. "Hey, what's this?" She reached down, and picked up a small black stone, cracked in several places. "It looks like it came off of Baronmon."  
  
Monmon started shaking his slingshot. A similar stone fell to the ground. "I thought I felt something fall off my neck. It must have gotten caught in my slingshot."  
  
Wizardmon ran over. "It looks a bit like a Dark Spore."  
  
"Like in the TV series?" Scott asked. "I can't believe MAGAMI would put something like that in."  
  
"Maybe the AoA?" Arche asked. Yamato shrugged.  
  
"They said this has been going on for a week." Palmon whispered. "But we haven't been here for more than a few hours."  
  
"Yeah, but remember what mom and dad said about time acting all funny when they first went to the Digital World? Maybe a few minutes there equals a week here, or something. If we can wrap this up quickly, our parents will never know we've been gone."  
  
"Baromon usually hangs around the Protocol Ruins." Scott said, looking north. "Okay, you can take care of yourself, come on."  
  
==New Bark Town.  
  
The Kamiya home was in complete chaos. Once both parents had found out what had happened, they had come charging home, and trying to locate Kyoko with the scanner Izzy had made to find Hitomi. "Where? Where? WHERE IS SHE?" Izzy yelled. Furiously, he cut power to the communications system, blocking any calls from coming in. Worlds away, Hitomi and Ryoko looked at their pokegears, wondering what had happened and why they felt that Kyoko was in some sort of danger.  
  
Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed him and yanked him out of his chair. "PUT ME DOWN!" Izzy yelled, swinging a fist. "I have to find her!"  
  
Kyle Ellison blocked the punch, and locked eyes with his long-time friend. "We have to find her, Izzy, not you. Go inside. Now."  
  
Izzy struggled against Kyle's grip. "I have to find Kyoko, let me go! NOW!"   
  
Kyle refused. "You're in no state to find her-"  
  
"WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?" Izzy roared, then stopped as he realised what he had just said. "Uh....oh..." Izzy couldn't say anything more. Trembling, he broke down, sobbing. Kyle led Izzy back to his house, found him a place to sit down (in full view of Yolei, currently putting Kari back together) and went outside, emotionally drained. As he exited, he saw Seth and Stuart show up. "Hey. Thanks for coming."  
  
"Just leave it to us." Stuart replied.   
  
Seth nodded. "I blew it last time, so I'd better make darn sure I do it right this time."  
  
"No one blames you." Wizardmon said to his human partner. "If it wasn't for you and Baha, the kids might have been buried in that room."  
  
"How about Sam and Asuka?"  
  
Stuart sighed, glancing at Monodramon. "June's helping TK with them. They're about the same as Izzy here. This whole thing just will not do, you know?" Monodramon shrugged helplessly.  
  
"Yeah." Kyle agreed.   
  
==Protocol Ruins  
  
Kyoko lay on the floor, surrounded by a greyish miasma. By her side was Lady Devimon, keeping a silent watch on her mistress. A few feet away was a small army of digimon, all under Parasimon's control.   
  
"Hear me, minions." Kyoko said, voice straining to accommodate Parasimon's lower pitched voice. "I have granted you freedom from those weak humans. Go into the forests of this server and destroy everyone who does not serve me. I command it." The assorted digimon, primarily Champion and Rookie level digimon, departed.  
  
The miasma shifted, and Parasimon's spidery form materialised, tendrils wrapped around Kyoko. "As for you, my host, you must be made ready for battle as well. Let my power flow through you, Kyoko Kamiya. You will never be alone again, for you will carry me with you always, and through you, I shall rule this world."  
  
==Outside  
  
"Poison Ivy!" Palmon shouted, grabbing the last Dokugumon that was attacking the group of digidestined. With a grunt, she yanked the spider digimon off her feet, and allowing Hookmon a chance to finish it. A few yards away, Wizardmon and Greymon battled a pair of Goblimon. "They do seem to be active today!" Hookmon yelled. He ducked and took out one Dokugumon with a blast from his hand-cannon.  
  
"After Noise Desert? This is nothing!" Scott yelled back. "Kate! Get Wizardmon back, Greymon's going to finish this with one shot! Do it!"  
  
Greymon tossed one Goblimon back, hitting the second one and giving Wizardmon a chance to get clear. "Nova Blast!" A large ball of flame finished off both Goblimon, leaving only one Dokugumon left. Panicking, it ran back into the dank jungle.  
  
"Wow." Arche gasped. "Your Greymon must be at a really high level."  
  
Scott nodded. "You bet. I just focussed on his main digivolve line. You lose some adaptability, but the power more than makes up for it. And you've just seen his Champion form of Greymon. If I wanted to, I could shoot him up to Black Wargreymon, but I wouldn't want to overwhelm the rest of you guys."  
  
"This guy's as bad as Takeru." Palmon whispered.  
  
"No, this guy's actually good in a fight." Yamato amended. "Are you alright, Palmon?" Palmon nodded; she had been caught unawares by the attacking Goblimon, before Wizardmon could draw them off.  
  
"You been training her in secret, Yamato?" Kate asked. "Palmon had some slick moves."  
  
"Actually, Tai and Agumon have." Palmon replied. "It was Sora's idea. You know how protective she can be." Sighing, Yamato nodded. "And you're busy with school and everything. I wonder how Ryoko and Hitomi get away with it."  
  
"Hitomi didn't, remember?" Kate said. "She wound up in a teacher's living room, poor kid."  
  
"Friends of yours?" Scott asked. "They play on this server?"  
  
Kate stammered, trying to think up of a response. Before she could, another digimon came out of the trees, large and red, with a biohazard symbol on its chest. "Palmon!" Kate shouted. Hookmon was exhausted, and Greymon and Wizardmon were out of position. On instinct, she called out her pokemon. "Torchy, Chas, GO!" The two pokemon, a Combusken and a Houndoom, appeared and started fighting the digimon.  
  
"P...POKEMON?" Arche gasped. "How'd you get them here?" Stunned, Arche watched as Chas ran up the digimon's back and bit into its neck, while Torchy slammed three kicks into its midsection.  
  
"Later!" Scott yelled. "Greymon, DO IT!"  
  
"Greymon, digivolve to...Metal Greymon!" Squinting, Yamato was able to make out Greymon's body being replaced by a greenish wireframe, then getting 'filled in' with Metal Greymon's body. This one was blue and black, indicating that this was still a Virus digimon. Metal Greymon roared, warning the two pokemon it was about to attack. Chas and Torchy jumped clear, just as two metal ports opened up on Metal Greymon's chest. "Giga Blaster!" Two missiles shot out, and struck the red dinosaur, knocking it out but not destroying it. "Tougher than it looks. That would have vaped an Ultimate digimon."  
  
"Yeah." Scott said. "But Growlmon are pretty tough once they get going. He must have been upgrading his defence before he attacked." He looked at the two pokemon. "So, how'd you pull that off? I thought pokemon weren't going to be allowed in until the upgrade next year. They settle the court case early?" Kate and Yamato stammered. "That was a Houndour and a Combusken I saw, right? I think I'd like some answers before I go any further."  
  
"The answer," a human said, stepping into view, "is that they are a pair of interlopers who do not belong here. Lady Devimon, kill them. Now!"   
  
"Yes." Lady Devimon answered, attacking the two pokemon. Hastily, Kate recalled them, allowing Wizardmon to go after the demonic digimon. Hookmon went after her as well.  
  
Yamato gasped, recognising Kyoko. But her clothing had changed. Before, it was a fairly normal school outfit. But now, she was dressed in a loose-fitting blue and white bodysuit, with a long cape trailing down her back and stopping just short of the ground. Her eyes, once kind and bright, were twisted now, filled with evil intent. "K...Kyoko!"  
  
Kate gasped. "What? Kyoko? Are you nuts? Why are you dressed like that?"  
  
"Because this world is mine." Kyoko replied coldly. "And I shall rule it the way Mr. Inoue should have." With a shout, Kyoko raised an arm, and a small flood of rookie digimon stormed out, threatening to engulf the humans.  
  
"Yamato!" Palmon yelled, running to her partner's defence. Desperately, she flailed away with her Poison Ivy. Torchy reappeared, joined by a Tauros and an Ivysaur. "Yamato, get away!" Palmon shouted as the rookie assault threatened to overwhelm the four monsters.  
  
"They're too close!" Metal Greymon yelled. "I can't attack without hitting Yamato or Palmon!" He grunted as his metallic claw swept away more of the small monsters. "I think these must be the partner digimon that have vanished here over the week."  
  
"Quite a lot of them!" Scott yelled, punching at a Bearmon that tried to maul him. "Digivolve!"  
  
"Metal Greymon, digivolve to...Black Wargreymon! Rrrr....Black Tornado!" The rookie digimon surrounding Black Wargreymon were pulled in by the vortex, then flung away with several powerful swings of his claws. "Who's next?" the Mega digimon called, a second before Lady Devimon tackled him. This did allow Hookmon and Wizardmon a chance to break off and fight the rest of the horde that Kyoko had summoned.  
  
"Kyoko!" Kate yelled. "When I get out of this, I'm gonna clobber you!"  
  
"Things are not what they seem!" Wizardmon said, parrying an attack with his staff. Ducking around his opponent, he aimed at Kyoko, shouting "Magic Game!" as he did. A wave of energy passed over Kyoko, revealing Parasimon, hovering over Kyoko. "That digimon is controlling her!"  
  
"Indeed." Parasimon said, using Kyoko's voice. "She was the perfect choice, really." he advanced, ignoring the battles raging around him and his mind controlled slave. "The Dark Spore that traps my mind feeds on negative energy, and she was positively swimming in them, after her beloved Sam ran off with that pathetic loser. So, she gains revenge, and I gain a body to live in. Fair trade, really." he finished, walking right over to where Palmon was. "Oh, and Yamato? Consider this payback." With a fierce kick, Kyoko sent Palmon flying into Torchy, knocking the two over.  
  
"Palmon!" Yamato yelled, watching as several rookie and champion digimon broke off from attacking Wizardmon and Hookmon and focused on what they thought was an easy kill.  
  
Kate looked on in horror, unable to get a clear line for her pokeball to recall Torchy. The two monsters vanished under a small mountain of digimon. A second later, the mountain bulged out, then exploded in a flare of white light. At the center of the blast was Palmon, hurt but alright. Standing over her was a fierce looking birdlike warrior, all white and red with sharp talons for hands.  
  
"Blaziken!" Arche gasped.  
  
"Alright!" Kate yelled. "Go Torchy!" With a sharp yell, the pokemon surged forward, Tauros, Chas and Ivysaur rallying around it. Yamato ran over and picked up Palmon, while Wizardmon and Hookmon were able to defend the humans.  
  
Black Wargreymon was still grappling with Lady Devimon. "I appreciate the attention," Black Wargreymon snarled, "but the pushy act doesn't cut it!" With a heave, he tossed Lady Devimon off. "She's strong for an Ultimate digimon."  
  
"It's Parasimon!" Wizardmon yelled. "He's boosting her power with his own. We'll have to defeat Parasimon in order to save them!"  
  
"Not likely." Kyoko replied. "Lady Devimon, finish this." Silently, Lady Devimon pulled back, glowing with bluish-black flame. Her form blurred, and was replaced by a different digimon. This digimon, a pale blue woman dressed in a Victorian-style black dress, looked down on the battle with no sign of emotion as she raised her hand.  
  
"Lilithmon!" Wizardmon gasped, recognising the digimon. "Kate, RUN!"  
  
"Phantom Pain." was the last thing anyone heard, as suddenly, the air was filled with knives.  
  
==  
  
Yamato got to his feet, his last memory of a scimitar shooting right at him. "Palmon? PALMON!"  
  
"I'm fine." Palmon said, getting up. "Just a little roughed up."  
  
"Same here." Scott said. He glanced at his partner, and saw that Black Agumon had woken up also.  
  
"I don't get it." Arche said, cradling Monmon. "I thought I saw everyone being attacked by swords."  
  
"An illusion." Tsukaimon said, frowning. "Lilithmon's Phantom Pain ability makes the targets experience incredible amounts of pain, but they don't actually become injured."  
  
"Tell that to my head." Black Agumon groaned. He glanced around. "Looks like she got her own troops as well. I think I saw Lilithmon and Kyoko head back into the Protocol Ruins."  
  
"Then we have to go after her." Kate said getting up.  
  
"Not so fast." Scott said, staring at Kate and Yamato. "I said I wanted answers. You're not regular Digimon Online players. What are you, DRI agents? AoA fugitives? System hackers?"  
  
"I think I know." Arche said quietly. Looking at Yamato, she went on. "I didn't think about it until Kate there called out her pokemon. Then I remembered...'It all started when a warp disk experiment I was watching went a little ca-ca.' That's how the story started, right?" Yamato blinked. That phrase was familiar, but he couldn't place it. "That's good." Arche said, smiling. "If you had recognised it, I might be suspicious."  
  
"Uhh...What are you talking about?" Kate asked.  
  
"Yeah, and why'd you quote the first line of that 'Digicross' fanfic?" Scott asked. "I don't...woah. No way."   
  
"Kate Evanick, Yamato Takenouchi, Kyoko Kamiya. Her last name is Kamiya, right?" Still confused, Yamato nodded.  
  
"But that was just a story." Scott protested. "You're saying that characters from a fanfic story actually came here?"  
  
Black Agumon shrugged. "Digimon was just a TV show until someone created Digimon Online."  
  
"That's different!" Scott argued. "Arche, you're nuts."  
  
"Actually," Tsukaimon answered, "I think she's right. But what's a fanfic?"  
  
Scott tried to answer, but couldn't think of a coherent argument. After a few seconds he gave up. "Fine, it's irrelevant for now. We find Kyoko, and then we sort this out. Castle's this way."  
  
Yamato got up, then stopped. "Hey, what's this?" he asked, picking up a small square from the ground.  
  
Arche glanced at the item. "Oh, it's a DV Plug." she answered. "You can use it to help your digimon digivolve. Keep it, you might need it." She smiled as she answered.  
  
"Th...thanks." Yamato muttered. Palmon rolled her eyes. Beside her, Monmon shrugged helplessly.  
  
==  
  
"Okay, there are four ways we can...hey, this wasn't here before!" Scott looked around, baffled by the interior of the castle.  
  
"I said that they had changed the place a bit." Arche responded. "Maybe we should split up?" Scott nodded, but never got a chance to say anything. "Right, I'll take Yamato and go this way. See you later!"  
  
"I didn't just see that." Kate groaned, watching Yamato get dragged away.  
  
"You did. Maybe Arche was right." Scott sighed.  
  
"About what? That fanfic thing?" Kate shivered, not sure she liked the idea of someone writing about her.  
  
"Ahh, can't be. If you were really *that* Kate Evanick, your brother would have shown up and made some wisecrack about how you had a massive crush on Takeru Motomiya." Purely by reflex, Kate reached over and smacked Scott on his head. "OW! Hey, what'd you..." Scott saw the expression on Kate's face. "Woah." he whispered.  
  
"Never fails." Tsukaimon sighed.  
  
==  
  
"Down here." Arche said quietly. "I think I heard voices." Carefully, she opened a door, and Yamato and Palmon stepped through.  
  
"People." Yamato gasped. "It's some kind of dungeon!"  
  
"Hey, you over there, help us!" a male voice hissed. "Before that Digimon Emperor wannabe comes back with her digimon!"  
  
"Have you seen my partner digimon?" another voice pleased. "It was Guilmon, and a Lady Devimon took him away!"  
  
"Everyone, stay calm!" Monmon urged the humans. "We'll get you out first, alright? Arche? Any ideas?"  
  
Arche nodded. "Power chip!" she called, touching a small disk to her satellite. Grinning, Monmon pulled out his slingshot and wrecked the locks on the cages holding the humans.  
  
One boy ran over. "Thanks. If you're looking for the two that did this, they went through that door over there." he indicated a metal door. "It was weird, it was like they'd never been to Digimon Online before; the human was looking for digivices when she took our digimon from us. It was like she'd never even heard of a satellite. Come to think of it, she looked kinda familiar..." He looked around, adjusting his glasses.  
  
Yamato shook his head. "Trust me, you've never met her. You can get out of here through that door, take the first left, follow the stairs, and you'll find the entrance to the castle."  
  
"Head back to Asuka City and get as many DRI agents here as possible." Arche added.  
  
The boy nodded. "Right. Man, I am definitely rewriting that storyline..." he muttered as he left.  
  
==  
  
The door blasted open, Wizardmon leading the two humans and other digimon through. "We'll have to try to take this outside." he cautioned. "It'll be a bit tight for you to battle."  
  
"I've busted a few roofs in my time." Black Agumon responded. "Just one Black Tornado, and that should do it."  
  
"Just remember." Kate said. "We're trying to save them, not kill them."  
  
"We've done this dance a million times." Scott replied. "We can do the less than lethal route. Shame no one's telling Kyoko that." Kate frowned, but said nothing. "Alright, the next room's the top of the castle. If they're not there, I don't know where they'd be."  
  
"How about right behind you?" Kate and Scott whirled around, and saw Kyoko and Black Gatomon standing there. "Kate, nice to see you again. Maybe this time, I can get it through that Takeru-obsessed skull of yours that I want to be left alone."  
  
Kate snarled. "Okay, I've been patient, but now it's time to spank the baby." Kyoko arched an eyebrow, confused. "Oh, sure, you act all sophisticated and smart, but at the first sign of trouble, you just run off and start hurting everyone around you!"  
  
"Done?" Kyoko asked sweetly. "Good." Kyoko held up a hand, and a wave of force sent Kate flying. She was driven through an open window, and had the dizzying sensation of falling.  
  
"Poison Ivy!" Kate was wrapped in a tangle of vines, and pulled back into the room. "Kyoko, please, snap out of this!"  
  
"Kyoko cannot hear you now." Parasimon's voice replied. "It was a simple matter really. She was in such a negative emotional state that it was easy for me to take over her mind by promising her what she thought she wanted."  
  
"And what was that?" Kate demanded.  
  
"To forget everything. Unlike that pathetic Ken Ichijouji, dear little Kyoko was content to have her personality obliterated, and welcomed me in almost happily." Parasimon laughed. "So you can forget about saving your friend. She doesn't want to be saved, I'm afraid." Black tendrils of mist surrounded Kyoko and Gatomon. When the fog cleared, Lilithmon was standing there, sneering at the digidestined. "Leave now. I have no interest in the human world yet."  
  
"Not until you give Kyoko and Gatomon back!" Yamato shouted.  
  
"Wizardmon." Kate hissed.  
  
"If I attack, there's not telling what might happen to Kyoko or Gatomon." As they spoke, Lilithmon floated up, and flew out of the window, her body growing until she was easily as large as Black Wargreymon.  
  
"What is she doing?" Scott asked.  
  
"Once," Lilithmon replied, "Parasimon were common in the Dark Ocean. However, Demon came and slew us all until only I remained. He took my body and shattered it, making his Dark Spores to infect his enemies. The shells of my brethren he used to create the first Control Spires. In this new world, I shall recreate the Parasimon Horde. And once this world is flooded with Parasimon, I shall reopen the doorway, and take over your world as well." Lilithmon raised an arm, aiming at the people in the tower. "And you shall be the first to fall. Nether-"  
  
Lilithmon's attack was interrupted by Palmon leaping out, vines wrapping around the demonic digimon. "I won't let you hurt Yamato!" she shouted.  
  
"Let go of me, worm!" Lilithmon roared, flying up.  
  
"Palmon!" Yamato yelled, running after his partner. He jumped, and managed to grab onto the hem of Lilithmon's black dress, and started climbing up after Palmon.  
  
"Yamato!" Arche shouted. "Monmon, go!"  
  
"Monmon, digivolve to...Exveemon!" Exveemon flew up, trying to keep up with the Mega level digimon. "Yamato, jump off! I'll catch you!"  
  
"Wait for me! Black Agumon, digivolve to...Black Wargreymon!" The ebony digimon flew off, easily catching up with Exveemon.  
  
"Get out of my way!" Lilithmon shrieked, knocking Yamato off. For good measure, Lilithmon launched several energy blasts after him. Noticing Palmon was distracted by her partner's fall, Lilithmon grabbed Palmon, squeezing the small digimon. "You care so much for him, go join him!" Palmon was thrown at Yamato, Palmon's small body slamming into Yamato, knocking both out.  
  
"I got him!" Exveemon yelled, catching the two.  
  
"I'll handle Lilithmon, then!" Black Wargreymon snarled.  
  
Back on the ground, Kate gasped as she saw Exveemon catch Yamato and Palmon, then saw the two Mega digimon start fighting. "No!"  
  
Scott didn't look at her. "She just tried to kill Yamato. We can't hold back any more, she's a threat to everyone in the Digimon Online world." Looking up, Scott started yelling at the top of his voice. "Black Wargreymon! Terra Destroyer!"  
  
"NO!" Kate almost shouted.  
  
"Trust us, for God's sake!" Scott yelled back.  
  
"I trust you, Scott." Black Wargreymon murmured, charging up his attack. "Terra Destroyer!" The orange bolt of energy flew at Lilithmon, seeming to engulf the digimon.  
  
Still held by Exveemon, Yamato and Palmon came to. "Kyoko..." Yamato whispered, looking at the energy sphere. He gasped a second later when the ball was torn in two.  
  
"Is that the best you have?" Lilithmon asked sarcastically. "Phantom Pain!" Black Wargreymon howled as the illusory swords sliced into him, mind insisting that he was taking mortal damage. He switched back to Agumon, and fell. Exveemon flew over and caught the unconscious rookie digimon.  
  
"I can't fight with all of you here." Exveemon said. "I'll have to land and go up again."  
  
"She's a Mega, you can't beat her!" Yamato insisted.  
  
"I'll help!" Palmon offered.   
  
"No!" Yamato replied. "If you go up..."  
  
"I'll be fine!"  
  
"No!" Yamato repeated. "I don't want you to..."  
  
"DIE!" Lilithmon shrieked, flying at Exveemon. She hit, knocking out the dragon digimon with one hit. He became Monmon again, and everyone except for Lilithmon started falling.  
  
"Yamato!" Arche shouted.  
  
"Use that chip you found!" Palmon called, grabbing Monmon, Black Agumon, and Yamato with her vines.  
  
Yamato nodded. "I hope this works. DV PLUG!" he shouted, touching the chip to his satellite.  
  
Instantly, Palmon felt the chip working, her body suddenly rimmed with red flames. "Palmon, Blast Digivolve to...Lillymon!" Now able to fly, Lillymon took hold of Yamato and the other falling digimon, set them on the ground, and took off again, taking a second to smile at Yamato, assuring him she'd be alright.  
  
"Blast...?" Kate asked.  
  
"Palmon was taking a lot of hits in that battle earlier." Arche said. "I figured her Blast Gauge was almost full. When a digimon's Blast Gauge fills up, it's able to digivolve automatically, even if it doesn't have any advanced forms loaded."  
  
"Come on!" Scott said, running out of the room. "We still have to help stop Lilithmon!"  
  
Outside, Lillymon flew up and faced Lilithmon. "Let them go, Parasimon!" Lillymon demanded. The demon's only response was to launch an energy attack at the smaller digimon, but it was dodged. "Kyoko! I know you're in there! Gatomon! Come on, please get out of there!" The dance continued for several more minutes, Lillymon able to avoid Lilithmon's attacks. "You can't do it, can you? I know you're in there, Kyoko!"  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"If it was just Parasimon in there, you'd have killed me by now! Kyoko!"  
  
Below, Scott reached the pile of digimon first. "Come on kid, don't derezz on me now..." Holding Black Agumon to him, he touched a disk to his satellite. "Life Plug!" The satellite flared, and Agumon came to. He heard Arche run over, and tossed her a Life Plug as well.  
  
"What hit me..." the small dinosaur mumbled, still dazed.  
  
"Pokemon?" Yamato asked.  
  
Kate shook her head. "Too dangerous for them." She glanced at Wizardmon. "Unless...you don't have any of those DV plugs left, do you?"  
  
"Sorry." Arche replied. "That one we found was just luck. Yamato, is that...?"  
  
"Lillymon." Yamato answered, nodding.  
  
"Okay, one more time. Black Agumon, digivolve to...Black Wargreymon!" The Mega digimon shot up, claws extended, aiming right at Lilithmon.  
  
"Too slow!" Lilithmon taunted, dodging to the side and focussing on Black Wargreymon, deeming him to be the greater threat.  
  
"Not for me!" Lillymon shouted, flying right at Lilithmon. "Flower Wreath!" she called, wrapping the evil digimon with a ring of flowers. For good measure, she repeated the attack until Lilithmon was wrapped from neck to toe in flowers. Furious, Lilithmon tried to pull the flowers off, but found that her strength was draining away. "Surprised? My Flower Wreath can drain the power from any virus digimon and turn them good! Or in your case, let the good get out of them! See?" Lilithmon suddenly felt sick, her whole body tingling. A few seconds later, Kyoko and Gatomon, white again, came out of her, and were caught by Lillymon. Lilithmon's body shifted back into Parasimon.  
  
"No!" Lilithmon yelled, trying to grab Lillymon.  
  
"Hey. Remember me?" Black Wargreymon asked calmly, hovering behind Lilithmon. "Black Tornado!" The attack sent Parasimon back to the ground, driving it several inches into the ground. "Now that you don't have Kyoko and Gatomon hostage, I can open up on you! TERRA DESTROYER!" The energy ball struck Parasimon, tearing the digimon apart. Black Wargreymon landed, and switched back to Black Agumon. "Now THAT'S how it should go!" he exclaimed, trying (and failing) to high five Scott.  
  
Kate, Yamato, and Arche were gathered around Kyoko. "Kyoko? You still with us?" Kate asked.  
  
Kyoko stirred slightly. "Kate...? Can you beat me up later, please?"  
  
==  
  
"So, now what?" Scott asked. "Are you stuck here? Cause if you are, I'm sure we can make room for you somewhere."  
  
Kate smiled slightly. "I'm not too worried. Izzy's getting better at these interdimensional rescues." As if on cue, a large doorway opened, a human came through, followed by a Wizardmon and a Salamence.  
  
"Ah, COOL!" Scott gasped. "THE Seth and Wizardmon!"  
  
"Buhh?" Yamato asked.  
  
Black Agumon shrugged. "Scott's a bit of a Seth fanboy. You should have seen him when that new chapter of 'The Experiment' came out."  
  
Seth took it all in stride. "Thanks, autographs later." Looking around, he spotted Kyoko and Gatomon. "You're safe." Seth said, grinning. Cradling Gatomon in her arms, Kyoko smiled and nodded.  
  
"We helped a bit." Kate replied. "Hey, are you going to stay as Lillymon?"  
  
Lillymon looked at Yamato, then at Kate. "I think I'm stuck."  
  
"I am sure that you will go back to Palmon when we return." Kate's Wizardmon told her.   
  
"Awww! I like this body!" Lillymon protested. "Can I keep it, Yamato? Please?" Blushing a bit, Yamato muttered incomprehensibly.  
  
"Well, I'm sure this will be interesting to hear about." Seth said, motioning to the portal. "Thanks everyone!" Waving, he took Kyoko and guided her through.  
  
"Thanks again." Kate said to Scott and Black Agumon. "You're not bad, for a digidestined."  
  
Scott smirked. "Right. See me again when YOU have the purple football there at his Mega level, and we'll talk." He glanced to one side, and groaned.  
  
"Umm...Arche? Thanks for everything." Yamato said.  
  
"Holly. My real name's Holly." Gently kissing Yamato, Arche stepped back, and waved to Yamato, who stepped through the portal, followed by Lillymon (Barely able to stand up from holding her laughter in). Kate and Wizardmon followed him, and the portal shut.  
  
Scott and Arche stood there for a few minutes. "You know, we'll probably never see them again." Scott said, a bit glumly. "It'd have been cool to talk to Seth for a bit."  
  
"I don't know." Arche said, looking up at the sky. "If that Digital World is anything like the one in the Digicross fanfic I've read, then I think we might see them again."  
  
Scott glanced at Arche, shook his head slowly, and looked east. "Well, I'd better catch the Digmon Express to the next Server. There's a new trainer there who has an FMD credit."  
  
"Oh?" Black Agumon asked.  
  
"Yep. Rumour has it that he has a flame using angel with a sword and a shield. Later Arche!"  
  
"Good bye!" Arche replied, waving. And I'll see you again, Yamato.  
  
==Epilogue  
  
"Umm...Sora? I'm still stuck like this." Lillymon said, rubbing her forehead. "I don't think I can sleep in the living room. Can't I go back to Yamato's room?"  
  
"You are NOT sleeping in Yamato's room!" Sora replied. Yamato blushed a bit.  
  
"Why not?" Sakura asked, getting groans from both Tai and Sora.  
  
==And, in another town...  
  
"TOBIAS! YOU DIE NOW!"  
  
==And, Back on another Earth  
  
Scott sat at his computer terminal, reading the message. It turned out that someone had seen him battling the evil Digimon of Protocol Castle, and had reported it to the MAGAMI sysadmin. And his reward? Another FMD credit.  
  
"Hmm…" he mused, looking at the newspaper, opened to a section on a recent court case. "Start with a Biyomon, and have her digivolve to Blaziken…"  
  
Digicross Special #01: The End 


	2. Over Ghost!

Voice-over: In the far away land of Houen, there is a place called the Mirage Kingdom. There, legends speak of an ancient power that was unleashed on the land, nearly destroying everything. These same legends tell of a single hero, who was able to stop the destruction and seal the power away. From this hero, a new line of royalty was born, who stood guard over the seal between the two worlds, to this very day. 

The legends also speak of an offshoot of this line, a single pokemon trainer in every generation, sworn to defend the kingdom from threats that might not be seen by the throne of the Mirage Kingdom. He is the Mirage Prince...

* * *

Digicross side-story: 'Over Ghost'

Elements of this story taken from 'Shaman King' byHiroyuki Takei. Akira Akiyama created By Caryl Kyashi.

* * *

Anyone who knew Akira Akiyama at all might have wondered at her choice of pastime. No one who thought of the hyperactive, slightly boy-crazy daughter of two of the Elite Four would have picked her for a ballerina.

Still, those people who watched her that night would have to admit she was actually quite good. One of the best, in her teacher's opinion. If you didn't count the time she jumped off the stage to tackle-hug the lead cellist...

Akira tried not to shiver. The gossips in the dressing room had hinted that there might be some very important people in the audience tonight. She thought she knew who, judging from the knot of people in the centre-back rows of seats. There were two boys there too, slightly older than her. Both cute, she thought.

Closer in were Joe and Lisa Kido, parents of Hikaru Kido, her classmate. Beside them was her father, Ryo. Hikaru hadn't come out yet, her part wasn't for a few more minutes. Her mother, Caryl Kyashi, wasn't able to come that night. She was there last night, and promised that she'd be there for the next recital in a week's time. Akira didn't mind; she and her mother spent a lot of time together already. One absence wasn't going to seriously damage her.

Closing her eyes, she fell back into the rhythm of the dance, carrying out the carefully planned set of movements she and the rest of her class had spent the last month going over.

Akira finished wiping the sweat off her forehead; she and the rest of her class had just finished one of their best recitals to date, in front of a packed audience. "Hikaru!" Akira yelled, waving to one of the girls exiting the change room.

Hikaru Kido looked up. "Akira! You were great out there!" The girl smiled, a lock of blue-black hair falling over her face. Annoyed, she flicked it out of the way. "I'm going to have to get this cut. Were mom and dad there?"

Akira nodded. "They looked so happy when you came out; I could see them from the wings. I hope dad saw me. And don't think of getting that hair cut. Boys just love that shade of hair here." She sighed, fingering a bit of her own fire-red hair.

"I wouldn't know." Ryo Akiyama said, entering the backstage area. "You were great, Akira. Mom would have been proud."

"It's too bad she had to go make some boring old speech at the Pokemon Academy." Akira sighed. "Oh well, we do a repeat of this in a week's time. And I know that she'll be there."

"She will." a voice said.

Akira rolled her eyes, unimpressed. "Rena-MOM!" she groaned. "Stop spooking everyone."

A Renamon, partner of her mother, Caryl Kyashi, stepped out of the shadows. "You did very well tonight, Akira. And thank you for not giving the teacher another heart attack."

"Come on!" a second Renamon whined, leaping down from the railings. "It was just one little forward somersault." This Renamon, Akira's partner, was a bit smaller and (as she constantly reminded the elder Renamon) a bit slimmer than her senior.

"Into the band area." Ryo sighed.

"Nearly landing on top of the violinist." Hikaru added. "Honestly, Akira, do you have to pounce on every boy you see? You're as bad as Takeru."

"That's not fair!" Akira whined. "Besides, he was a cellist. Just because I thought he was cute...I mean, I don't go slamming into every boy out there."

"Just the cute ones." Akira's Renamon interjected, giggling (If Rika could have seen a Renamon giggling, she'd have passed out. I am so looking forward to the eventual crossover. -ed). "Like that Henry Wong boy from the dimension Hitomi's stuck in."

"I know." Hikaru nodded. "Imagine, having to live with a teacher. Well, I guess Hitomi wouldn't mind, she is the group's bookworm."

"What am I?" Akira demanded.

"Completely nuts." Both Renamons chorused.

The audience slowly broke up, some of the parents trying to get backstage to meet their children, others trying to retrieve confiscated video cameras, or just to congratulate the dancers for a show well done.

One group remained seated until the rest of the seats had emptied. Then, as one, they all got up, escorting one young woman. "Did you enjoy the performance, milady?" one man, an older, severe looking man with a moustache asked.

"Yes, count Hanzou, I did." the young girl in the centre replied. She looked around, suddenly worried. "But, where did he go?"

"Don't worry." a second man, younger and more pleasant looking answered. "We notified the house manager. He's telling all the guards to watch out for him."

"Thank you. He's very important to me." All but two of them left. "Well, duty calls." the blond one said to his darker-haired companion. "You going to be okay?"

"Sure. You need anything, just holler." the other boy said, leaning back. He took a small tape out of his pocket, put it inside an old-fashioned walkman, and slipped a pair of orange earphones over his head. The first boy sighed, shaking his head, and left.

Akira looked down, feeling something tugging at her leg. She saw a small, oval creature, white with several multicoloured triangles over its body. "Awww...it's a Togepi! It's so cute!" She bent over, picked up the small pokemon, and lifted it up. The Togepi, enjoying the attention, chirped happily, arms and feet waggling.

"Akira, I'm sure that that belongs to someone." Ryo said, praying that he was right. "We should check with-"

"Ah, there he is. Thank you for finding him, miss." A man in a uniform walked over. "Forgive me. My name is Ryo, I am...an escort for one of the audience members tonight. Her Togepi managed to get out of its pokeball and wander off during the last part of tonight's recital."

"You mean you're one of Princess Osashi's guards?" Hikaru inquired. Boy he's cute, she didn't say. She could already feel herself being taken in by those grey eyes, carefully brushed brown hair, pleasant face...

"Ahh...no, of course not!" the guard replied nervously.

Akira nodded her head. "As Hitomi might say, you're lying." She glanced again at the Togepi in her hands. "So, I guess that you're royalty, then?" she asked the pokemon. It chirped again happily. "Well, I guess we'd better give you back."

"That won't be necessary." a man commanded. Ryo turned around, catching sight of the speaker. "You will turn over that pokemon now, or face the consequences."

"I already don't like this guy." Ryo murmured. Out loud, he said "we were just on our way to do that. But I don't much like being threatened." He glanced at the younger guard. "Well, if he's one of the palace guards, you must be General Hanzou, Queen Sonora's right hand man."

Hanzou narrowed his eyes. "And I can tell that you are Ryo Akiyama, one of those so called 'Elite Four' I've heard stories about. I'm not impressed."

"Hanzou!" Now a young woman in an elegant dress stepped into view. "That will be enough of that. Please, accept my apologies for his conduct." She stepped over to Akira, who handed the Togepi over. "Oh, you naughty little trickster. Thank you for finding him; he's always wandering off."

"Oh, he really found us." Hikaru answered, waving her hand. "Did you just catch him?"

"There is nothing else to discuss." Hanzou commanded, taking the princess by the arm and leading her off.

"Well...bye." the younger guardsman said. "Oh, my name's Skyler. We're from the Mirage Kingdom in the Houen region."

Akira's eyes went wide. "I've always wanted to go there! Hikaru, they have the coolest castles there, it's like a medieval village!" Hikaru sighed as Akira started rambling away.

--Next day.

Akira and Hikaru sat at the cafe table, bored. Ryo was out with Caryl, there was no recital or even practise today, and while this city was nice enough, there wasn't a lot to do in it on a Saturday late morning; the really interesting stores hadn't even opened yet.

"I'm bored." Hikaru moaned. "Mom and dad won't be back from that medical conference until tomorrow night." (They left that morning, at 5 am. -ed)

Akira looked up. "Really? Who are you staying with now?"

"Oh, I'm at home alone." Hikaru sighed.

Akira gasped. "Cool! Mom would NEVER let me do that."

"Yes, but I'm the responsible one, remember? You'd probably go off boy-hunting if they didn't have someone keeping an eye on you. And my partner is keeping an eye on me." (DIGIMON partner. Just in case someone needed it spelled out -ed)

"That hurts!" Akira replied, feigning insult. "I have Renamon. And Rena-mom, too." Akira glanced over her shoulder, wondering if she was being watched. "And I saw you checking that guy out last night, Hikaru. What was his name, Scott?"

"Skyler!" Hikaru snapped, then clamped her hands over her mouth, blushing.

"A-ha!" Akira smirked triumphantly. "Admit it - he was cute."

"Well...yeah..." Hikaru stammered. "But I'll probably never see him again." she sighed. "He's a royal guard, and I'm just some kid."

"Now that's not true, and you know it." a small digimon cried, jumping into Hikaru's lap. It looked like a small oyster, with a small face inside it.

"Thanks, Syakomon." Hikaru sighed.

"But Joe and Lisa might not approve of you flirting at your age, young lady." Syakomon added, shaking her 'head' disapprovingly.

"Thanks, Syakomon." Hikaru repeated, voice a bit harder. "But that Hanzou guy really creeped me out. It was like he was trying to pick a fight with your dad, you know?"

Akira nodded. "Dad could have taken him. And the only one who can beat dad is mom, of course." Akira glanced around, some noise catching her attention. "There he is! That cute Skyler guy!"

"Don't look!" Hikaru whispered, slouching down in her seat. "He might come over here!"

"Yeah? And? Oh, there's another guy with him...and he's even cuter! HEY, SKYLER! OVER HERE!" Akira got up and waved to the guardsman.

"Akiraaa..." Hikaru groaned.

Skyler and his companion heard Akira calling. "Oh, it's those two girls from last night."

The other boy, dark hair held back by a set of orange earphones save for two large bangs hanging over his eyes, looked in Akira's direction. "Hey, isn't that the girl who was checking you out last night?"

"Put a sock in it!" Skyler growled.

"So why are you going over there?" the other boy teased. There was nothing harsh about his words; in truth, his tone sounded very laid back.

"We're going over there." Skyler replied, grabbing the boy's arm and dragging him across the street.

"Yes, your royal guardsmanship." the boy joked.

"Hello again." Akira said as Skyler and his companion sat down. "Haven't seen you in hours. And you're all Hikaru can talk about." Akira tried not to flinch as Hikaru kicked her.

"Tell me about it." Skyler's friend said, clapping an arm on Skyler's shoulder. "He's been in a daze all day."

Akira blinked. "Weren't you in the audience last night?"

"Yeah. I got an invite from Skyler here. We don't see each other a lot, so we try to get together when we can. So...Akira, right?"

"Akira Akiyama." Akira nodded.

"Pleased to meet you. Yoh Asakura." The boy offered his hand. There was a small popping sound, and a large bird appeared. "Oh, and this is Amidamaru, my Fearow." The pokemon bowed, looking comically formal. "I...wait a sec." Yoh stood up, as if hearing something. "Skyler? It's time."

Skyler nodded. "We have to go. Listen, Hikaru, why don't you... comeonoversometimeI'dreallyliketo....ahhh...I'm in the Silver Skitty Hotel, room 310!" The two boys ran off.

Hikaru stared after the two. "He...I...they..."

"DATE!" Akira cried. "Way to go! See if you can talk him into a double date! That Yoh guy was HOT!"

"Akira!" Renamon said, appearing. "There's some sort of fight going on a few blocks from here! And that cute guy you were just drooling over last night is in it!"

"I was flirting, not drooling." Akira argued, getting up. "I want to see those guys in action!"

Hikaru got up too. "We should check on them"

Renamon nodded. "So, he asked you out?"

"No, just to his place." Hikaru blurted out. She clamped her hand over her mouth and went red-faced.

--

The second thug fell over, red welt from the wooden sword Yoh was using as a weapon on his face. "Now, is that anyway for one of the Princess' subjects to act?"

Skyler tightened his grip on one of his pokeballs. "You are charged with treason. Surrender now!"

"NEVER!" the last thug roared. "Torkoal, melt 'em!" A giant turtle-like pokemon, all red and black, appeared, fire and smoke coming out of its back. "Overheat!"

"Alakazam, Light Screen!" Skyler commanded, releasing his psychic pokemon.

"Amidamaru, Shadow Ball!" Yoh called. The bird flew up, and hurled a small sphere of black energy at Torkoal, knocking it out.

That was the moment Akira and Hikaru made it to the fight. "Did...that Fearow use Shadow ball?"

"He must be a really good trainer, then." Akira replied.

Yoh glanced behind him. "Hey, hello again! Just be a second here."

"It'll be longer than that!" the thug yelled. "While you were wasting your time with us, the real plan has taken effect!"

Instantly, Skyler's cellphone rang. "Skyler!" a tinny voice said. "Someone's kidnapped Princess Osashi's Togepi!"

"A distraction!" Yoh gasped. "Who put you up to this?" he demanded.

"I'll never tell." the thug replied, recalling Torkoal. "Adieu!" He pulled another item out, hurled it to the ground, and vanished in a flash of light.

"Escape rope." Hikaru snarled. "He should be back at the Pokemon centre, then." She took her own phone pout, and dialled it. "Hello? Nurse Joy? It's Hikaru Kido. Did someone just appear there? Dressed in black, might have had a Torkoal?" Hikaru listened for a few seconds. "Alright, thanks. Yes, you'd better call Officer Jenny."

Skyler shook his head. "No, you can't involve-"

"They already are." Yoh interrupted. "Let's just go with it. So, are you two up for some international intrigue and royal power games?"

"Cool!" Akira exclaimed. "Where first?"

"To Princess Osashi's residence. We should find out all we can."

"Well, you're in good hands. Hikaru's seen like every episode of CSI ever made." Syakomon said, balancing on Hikaru's head.

Skyler blinked. "You're a digidestined! That might be handy."

Hikaru blushed. "Well, I'm not much of a fighter..." She admitted.

"Hikaru." Akira whispered. "Ixnay on the uthtray." In a louder voice: "Hey, Renamon. You there?" Renamon appeared. "We're more dancers than fighters, but we can take care of ourselves."

Yoh nodded. "Okay then. Let's go meet the royals."

--

Princess Osashi looked a wreck. Akira and Hikaru had seen her mildly worried last night; this was much worse. Plus, her room was a shambles, and there were several parts of the room that had been blown up.

"There were three of them." the princess sobbed. "They all had bug type pokemon...and one of them grabbed Togepi!"

"We'll get her back." Skyler promised.

"Yes, you've done such an excellent job of guarding the princess so far." Hanzou sneered.

"And I'm sure you did so much right here." Yoh replied. "Tell me, where were you when all this happened?"

"Sleep powder." one of the princesses' aides said. "They blanketed the room."

"And why are they here?" Hanzou asked, glaring at Akira and Hikaru.

"They're going to help us." Skyler replied. "They know the city better than any of us. And besides, they're digidestined; that's a good asset to have if we get into another fight."

Hanzou opened his mouth. "We'll take all the help we can get." Osashi said, cutting him off. "They went north." she added, pointing out the hole in the wall.

Skyler and Yoh both bowed, and left, Hikaru and Akira following. "I really hate that jerk." Akira growled.

"Yeah, but he's like that with everyone. Okay military general, but a lousy PR person. I don't know why the king insisted on him coming with us." Skyler shrugged helplessly. "Tradition, I guess." They went outside and were soon looking at a map of the city the hotel provided.

"They went north...okay, we'd better split up." Yoh stated. "Akira and I will go here," he indicated one part of the city, "and you two can go over here." He grinned as he pointed to the more industrial part of the city. "If you can keep your mind on the job." he added.

"Good plan. Let's go!" Akira said, taking Yoh by the arm and leading him away.

"Um..." Skyler said, suddenly feeling very awkward. "So...what's in this area?"

"Mostly old warehouses. It's a good place to hide if you're up to something." Hikaru replied, trying not to stammer. "I guess we should go check it out, right? I mean, we can always call the police if we find something."

"Yeah...the police." Skyler answered.

"You realise," Renamon said to Yoh as they walked down the street, "That that was a rather evil thing to do."

Yoh shrugged. "Nah. Evil would be spying on them." He glanced at Akira, who grinned evilly in return.

"Go, Swablu!" she cried, releasing a small blue bird pokemon with wings like cotton. "Keep an eye on Hikaru and Skyler." Swablu chirped an affirmative. "If anything happens, come back and let us know, alright?" Another chirp, and Swablu flew off.

"I shouldn't be surprised. I mean, your parents are part of the Elite Four, right?" Yoh asked.

"Yup. We go all over the place and do demo battles and all that boring stuff. And I get to see some really awesome pokemon. I caught Swablu when we were hiking up Mount Silver last year." A thought occurred to her. "Hey, did your Fearow really use Shadow Ball? I thought that was a Ghost-type move."

"Well...Amidamaru's a special case." As if on cue, Amidamaru appeared.

"Hmm...he seems a bit darker than a normal Fearow." Akira commented. "Cool." The Fearow took the compliment with some dignity.

Hikaru glanced around. "She's spying on us, I just know it." In her arms, Syakomon nodded.

"Akira?" Skyler asked, charmingly clueless (As Akira would say -ed).

"Yeah." Hikaru groaned. "Well, maybe I can help speed up the search a little. Go, Marril!" The small blue aquatic pokemon appeared. "We're looking for a Togepi, got it?" Marril nodded. "One sec, you've never heard one before, right?" Maril shook, indicating that he hadn't. "Okay..." Hikaru fished out her pokedex, and called up the entry for Togepi. "Okay, this is Togepi's cry." She pressed a button on the pokedex, and it played a slightly tinny version of a typical Togepi's cry. "Got it? It's not exact, so be careful."

"Marril marril!" the pokemon replied. He faced down the street, eyes closed. Marril gradually increased the range of his hearing, tuning out certain sounds, amplifying others.

"Will this work?" Skyler whispered.

Hikaru blushed slightly as Skyler leaned close to her. "Y-yes. Marril have incredible hearing. Tracy Sketchum's can hear a Snorlax snoring across Cerulean City during rush hour."

"The president of the Pokemon Watcher's society?" Skyler asked.

"Yeah. I have a friend who's a fan of his." Not that I'm sharing you with Hitomi, she added mentally. Marril perked up, and pointed down the street, hopping up and down. "You heard a Togepi? Did it sound worried?" Marril nodded. "Alright, that's our target then. Come on!" Hikaru took off, Skyler following her.

The two ran down the street, following Marril, until they made it to a less-occupied part of town. This part of the city hadn't quite gone to seed yet, though it was well on its way. Some windows were broken, and there were visible spots of graffiti that hadn't yet been cleaned up.

"Marril! Marrilmarril!" the pokemon cried, hopping into Hikaru's arms (and on top of Syakomon. He HATES that. -ed) and pointing to one building.

"In there?" Hikaru asked.

Skyler frowned as Marril nodded. "Okay. I'll call the rest of the guards here; that way, we can-"

"The guards are already here." someone said. Hikaru and Skyler looked around, and saw several large men, all in uniforms similar to Skyler's, forming a circle around the two. "And we think you've snooped around long enough."

"Eric!" Skyler gasped. "What's the meaning of this...you're the kidnappers?"

"Of course." Eric replied. "We're tired of the current regime. It's high time the Mirage Kingdom started expanding as it once did. Our current pacifist rulers have forgotten too many of our traditions."

"The last time I looked," Skyler replied evenly, "high treason wasn't one of our traditions. Nor was oathbreaking, if I recall right."

"Circumstances. Our leader managed to switch everyone out except for you, Skyler. It's not too late. You and your girlfriend would be spared any reprisals."

"I haven't forgotten my oath!" Skyler replied. "Release Princess Osashi's Togepi NOW!"

"Machamp...subdue those two!" Eric ordered. He and the other guards released several Machamp, each one flexing their four arms menacingly.

Skyler's eyes narrowed. "Hikaru, you'd better get out of here."

"I'm not leaving." Hikaru replied. "Ready, Syakomon?"

"You bet...Syakomon, digivolve to...Frogmon!" The small oyster-shaped digimon grew slightly, into a small frog like creature, with a transparent green shield over its head, small daggers strapped to both legs, and small red plastic plants mounted on her back. "First one approaching Hikaru loses an arm." Frogmon challenged the Machamps.

"Go, Combusken!" Skyler yelled, releasing a pokemon. A yellow and red bird-like pokemon, but looking more like a fighter than a flyer, appeared, and assumed a fighting stance.

--

"So...seeing anyone?" Akira asked.

"Well, you, right now." Yoh replied. Akira arched an eyebrow.

"Oohhh...Why are the cute ones such smart-alecs?." Akira moaned.

Yoh laughed at that. "You don't waste time, do you?"

Akira shook her head. "Nope. Mom and dad travel a lot, so I have to either make friends quickly, or miss out." She sighed. "So...doing anything tonight?" Yoh started to answer when Swablu came flying back, chirping madly. "Have to answer later, looks like Hikaru's in trouble! Hey, Renamon!" On cue, Renamon appeared. "Let's go! Try to keep up, Yoh!" Renamon took Akira in her arms, and the two took off, Renamon easily clearing the roof on her first jump.

Yoh sighed. "Anna would just hate her." He grinned at the thought of the two meeting. "Hey, Amidamaru, you ready?"

The Fearow nodded. "Fear! Fearow!"

--

The last Machamp fell to Combusken's powerful kicks; Frogmon had already dealt with two others (Despite his initial threat, no limbs were severed; Hikaru does want to become a pokemon doctor, after all -ed). "Anyone else?" the digimon demanded, glaring at the guardsmen.

"Just me." A familiar voice sneered. Hanzou stepped into view, flanked by three bug pokemon that Hikaru didn't recognise at first. "Princess Osashi's Togepi will remain in my possesion, Skyler, until the time that she and Queen Sonora abdicate."

"You were sworn to defend her, Hanzou!"

"My, aren't we imperious today?" Hanzou replied. "Ninjask, eliminate that Combusken!" Two of the bugs, looking like oversized bees, seemed to vanish, then appeared around Combusken, striking the pokemon with several strong blows.

"Combusken! NO!"

"Impressed, Skyler?" Hanzou taunted.

Hikaru's eyes narrowed. "Ninjask, of course. They get faster the longer they are out in a battle. Frogmon!"

"Right! Bush Dagger!"

"Ninjask, Hyper Beam, both of you!" Two golden lances of energy stabbed out, slamming into Frogmon mid-leap. Wounded, the digimon landed on the ground, glowing and becoming Syakomon again. "Now, as I was saying..."

"DIAMOND STORM!" The two Ninjask were knocked out by a hail of white energy darts. Renamon landed in front of Hikaru and Skyler. "Too easy!" she said, smirking. "Now, as I was saying, give up, or else!"

Hanzou snapped his fingers. "Shedinja, advance."

Akira ran to where the other two were standing. "Renamon, go for it!"

Smirking again, Renamon jumped, aiming a kick at the advancing yellow insect. Hikaru squinted slightly, wondering where she knew that bug pokemon from. Ninjask was one evolution of Nincada..."Akira, call Renamon back!" she gasped.

"Too late!" Hanzou snarled. Renamon hit Shedinja dead on...and bounced! "Miracle Guard negates every attack you have!"

"Except super effective ones." Akira replied. "That's why you made sure to take out Combusken first." Hanzou nodded, mockingly. "But it's still a bug type, so a flying attack will settle its hash! Go Swablu!"

Hanzou growled. "Idiot child! This is no pokemon battle! And my Shedinja has a few surprises..." Laughing, he took out a small item. Hikaru and Akira gasped when they saw it. A small black square with a circular screen...a Dark Digivice!

"You're a..."

"I know all about you digidestined. And WarDevidramon will reward me for adding the Mirage Kingdom to the Dark Ocean! Now, Shedinja...DIGIVOLVE!" Shedinja howled, a primal roar of power and agony, its shape twisting in mid-air, growing ever larger. "Behold...Black Kabuterimon!"

Renamon stepped back, stunned. "A hybrid, like dad's Charizard?"

Hanzou snorted. "Ha, I'm not wasting my time with those. He is a pure object of evil now, created by the Dark Ocean. Now, destroy them all!" With a roar, Black Kabuterimon advanced, four arms reaching for the humans. Snarling, Renamon jumped again, this time trying to punch the attacking digimon in the throat. Again, the attack was stopped.

"Fool! Dark Kabuterimon retains the power of Shedinja's Miracle Guard! He's invincible!" Black Kabuterimon advanced, grabbing and hurling Renamon away. Then, the bug digimon's wings sprang out, and it took to the air, soaring above the rooftops. "Now, level this pathetic place with your Dark Thunderbolts!"

"Amidamaru, use Protect!" Yoh shouted. The large Fearow swooped down, blocking the bolt of electricity meant for Renamon. "Man, it's hard keeping up with you."

Akira frowned. "Everyone keeps saying that." she pouted. "Renamon, are you alright?"

"Yeah...sure..." Renamon replied, still dazed.

Yoh shrugged. "Well, this looks like it'll be good practise."

"Yoh, wait!" Hikaru said. "That digimon knows Miracle Guard. It's only vulnerable to certain attacks. Amidamaru should use Drill Peck and Wing Attack if it can..."

Yoh grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "Well...Amidamaru doesn't really know any Flying type moves right now..."

"Ha...ahh...HOW CAN HE NOT KNOW EVEN ONE FLYING ATTACK?" Hikaru demanded. "At least tell me you have another pokemon!"

"Nope. We're a team. And we don't exactly battle in the same way that normal pokemon trainers do."

"Hikaru, trust him." Skyler urged. "I've seen him in a battle."

"Yeah, but not recently." Yoh replied. Above them, Black Kabuterimon and Amidamaru were circling, each trying to find an opening. Suddenly, Black Kabuterimon shot forward, driving a clawed arm through the bird pokemon!

Akira gasped in horror, then, along with Hikaru, watched in amazement as the attack went through Amidamaru...as did the dark digimon, thrown off balance by its target's sudden intangibility.

"Wh...how?" Hanzou gasped.

Skyler smiled darkly. "I've known Yoh and Amidamaru from when we were both infants. And from that time, he had a Spearow, then a Fearow, named Amidamaru as his partner. But Amidamaru died during the last revolt in the Mirage Kingdom...you had a role in that, didn't you? Though nothing was ever proven..."

"Those fools didn't see the power that the Togepi Paradise could grant us!" Hanzou snapped. "We could use it to strike anywhere, and the power of the Togepi themselves could have won us any battle!"

Yoh frowned. "I guess it's time to show your true colours, Amidamaru!" The Fearow cawed loudly, swallowed up by a greyish cloud. The mist dissipated, revealing a small ghost pokemon. "Misdreavus!"

"Fascinating!" Hanzou snarled. "But pointless! A Ghost pokemon can't use any attack that could harm Black Kabuterimon!"

"Oh? Then you don't know me very well. Or didn't Princess Osashi mention she had a nephew? You do know her last name is Asakura, right?"

Hanzou's eyes went wide. "You...you're the Mirage Prince?" he gasped.

"Yep. Amidamaru, SPIRIT FORM!" The ghost pokemon seemed to cheer with pleasure, before turning into a blue ball of energy, which flew to Yoh's open hand. "UNITY!" Yoh yelled, pushing Amidamaru inside of his chest.

"He's merging with Amidamaru?" Akira gasped.

"It's like those five kids Ryoko and Hiroki met." Hikaru murmured, awed. "He can unite Amidamaru's spirit with his own. But why?"

"Watch." Skyler replied. As the three watched, the shinai Yoh was carrying was wrapped in blue energy, and a pair of wings sprouted out of his back. "Now he can use flying attacks."

"Incredible." Hikaru breathed.

"I'm in love." Akira whispered. Renamon sighed, rubbing her head.

Black Kabuterimon howled, charging at Yoh. Yoh's spectral wings flared up, and his shinai was covered with bluish-white energy. "DRILL SABRE!" Yoh roared, shooting right at the attacking digimon. Everyone else flinched as the two collided, releasing a bright flash of light. Seconds later, Yoh landed, sword held in a ready position, facing away from his target. Black Kabuterimon hung in mid air, then seemed to crack, bits of him falling away.

Hikaru recognized what was happening. "That's...a control spire digimon!" she gasped. She shifted to Hanzou, glaring at him. "How could you make a deal with the Dark Ocean?"

"Power, what else? Hanzou replied. "This isn't over, Mirage Prince." He made a throwing motion, then disappeared.

"Another escape rope." Akira growled.

"No worries." Skyler spoke up. In the distance, police sirens could be heard approaching. "Now that we know Hanzou is behind this, he's got nowhere to run."

"Yes he does." Syakomon said.

--Dark Ocean

Hanzou appeared outside the ruins of a castle. "That interfering whelp! I'll have my revenge!"

A loud thumping noise approached him. "If you survive, Hanzou." War Devidramon said, flexing his hands. "If you survive."

--That night

Princess Osashi, Togepi cradled securely in her arms, looked out the window. "I can't believe they were all with Hanzou."

Skyler sighed. "Hanzou's spent years planning this. The king's just let me know that he's purged the ranks of the Royal Guards, and is inducting new members from the academies as we speak." At her horrified expression, Skyler elaborated. "Anyone who was connected with Hanzou is being interrogated and, if they can't prove their loyalty, they're being expelled from the castle. And, the king's making a full report to the people, so they know exactly what's going on."

There was a knock at the door. Skyler got up and opened it. "H....hello, Skyler." Hikaru stammered. "Umm...so, dinner tonight?"

"Well, there's no-one else to guard the princess-" Skyler started.

Princess Osashi walked over. "I think a night out after all this is a grand idea. In fact, I have to get changed. Akira's invited me and Yoh to a nice restaurant."

"Akira invited you?" Syakomon asked.

"Royal prerogative." Osashi replied, smiling. "Someone has to chaperone my cousin. Now you two go and have a nice time. Skyler? I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Uh...yes, your majesty." Skyler managed, adding in a salute.

To be continued?


	3. Dancing in the Light

Just something that came to me one day, while working on Tamers...

**Digimon Digicross: Dancing in the Light **

**A tale of the far, FAR future of the Digicross world**

_OP: Obsession (.hack/SIGN Opening)_

It had started quietly, going almost unnoticed in wake of her disappearance. Parts of the Digital World would seem to fade out for a few seconds, then reappear, apparently none the worse for wear. Those who did notice, dismissed it. They had more important things to worry about.

Then, one day, it happened. About 3/4s of the Digital World were suddenly swallowed up by massive ebony shells. The older digidestined, believing they were control spires like they had faced before, went in.

Imperialdramon. Hikarumon. Dukemon. Both Valkyriemon. Every possible digimon team that went in was soundly defeated, the spheres simply absorbing every attack sent against them. And the enemies that came out...not quite digimon, not quite anything else, were only beaten by luck and overwhelming firepower.

So far, it was only the one digital world that was infected. But it was all to easy for this calamity to spread; the other digital worlds were temporarily sealed off, while the heroes of three worlds remained on the Pokemon world to figure out what to do.

Then the message came. Someone, claiming the title of 'Digimon Empress', claimed responsibility, and also claimed that this Digital World was hers and no one else's. Intruders would be destroyed. What was more shocking was the face of the speaker. She wore no mask or camouflage like Ken Ichijouji had, ages ago.

**Digital World, Outside the Primary Village Dome**

"Are you sure about this, Natsume?"

Natsume glanced at her younger sister. "Yeah, I am Rika. She's in there, and I know that I can get through to her. Wish me luck."

"Luck? Sora's turned back -Dukemon-. In Crimson Mode. She's...I don't know if we can stop her. Besides," she added, face softening, "even if we do get through this, dad'll freak out. To say nothing of Uncle K."

Natsume smiled back. "Have you ever known an adult to be able to solve any major crisis?"

"Yeah, our parents!"

"I'll be fine. Tell mom and dad for me, alright? And tell...tell Aunt Ryoko I'll bring Sora back." Natsume stepped back. Glancing at the massive dome, hanging oppressively over what used to be Primary Village, she headed off for it, small digivice in hand.

"Good luck, sis." Rika Motomiya whispered, and took off, heading back to the lone digiport they had, with cousin Daichi Motomiya's expert help, established.

**Five Minutes Later…**

The first monster came at Natsume quickly enough. Long, sickly green, and serpentine, it belched a cloud of acid at her, then dove in to finish her off.

Natsume smiled, digivice raised to her eye level. "Spirit Evolution...Wolfmon!" There was a bright flare of light, pushing acid cloud and draconoid back. When it cleared, Wolfmon stood there, saber already in hand. This Wolfmon was slightly different. She was shorter than the original, hair went a bit longer and was black, not blond.

Then Wolfmon was a blur, leaping onto the snout of the draconoid and stabbing her saber into its forehead, flinching as vile black ichor came out. The monster howled in pain, and fell, dead before it hit the ground. Wolfmon put her saber away, hopped off the corpse, and strode down the pathway.

Several dozen eyes popped open, and advanced on the hybrid. Inside Wolfmon's body, Natsume fought off a shudder. 'Uncle' Kouji would have probably double or even hyper- evolved to face these attackers. But what she, Rika, and Daichi had learned was that the monsters were able to feed off the waste energy released when a digimon digivolved. So evolving right now wasn't an appealing idea.

Besides, she only had the two light spirits for now. But she wasn't Kouji, this wasn't the same Wolfmon, and she had been practicing. Both sabers were drawn, and Wolfmon knelt, waiting for the advancing horde to get close enough...

Now.

"WILD HUNT!"

**Inside the Dome: Control Room**

Sora Kamiya watched as the screen flared, then died. I'm glad, she told herself. "I'm glad she's dead. I just wish I had a chance to do it in person." She glanced around. All about, brainless minions moaned, waiting like robots for a command to fulfill.

No partner digimon. Nothing earth-shaking in that. The partner rate on the Pokemon world was sill about 1/3. Even the Human World had, after the initial burst, tapered off to about 80. Not through any personal failings, just random chance. She'd heard someone say that some people just didn't need partners, hey, look at your father.

Idiots.

No, it was something else that had made her take this path. And she had just seen the payback on the screen. Just before..

The.

White..

Flash...

of...LIGHT! Whirling, she ran to the control panel and smashed a button down. Alarms rang, and the assembled minions all lumbered off. Doors closed behind them, then secondary doors over those doors. In moments, the Empress was concealed in a small fortress at the center of the Dark Dome. "She'll never get through all that. They'll tear her apart and take her spirits from her."

"No they won't." Natsume walked out of the shadows. "Sora? Please, stop this."

Sora stood up, stunned. All her preparations, all her planning..."How? I would have known...the energy release..."

"Daichi figured it out. He couldn't stop the energy drain, but he could mask it so you couldn't see it."

"Hmph. He did take after his mother more." Sora completed the old joke. Daichi Motomiya, son of Takeru and Kate Motomiya, was, at the age of 14, already finishing high school and being courted by several universities. "So, now what? I suppose mom and dad come in, and make a big scene?"

"No. It's just you and me, Sora. Why?"

Sora stepped back. "You don't know? **YOU** of all people don't know?" Natsume stepped back, stunned by the venom in Sora's voice. "None of you have figured it out. Figures."

"No, we haven't! Why do all this? There's no point to it! What could all this-" Natsume waved her hands around the room they were in, "give you that we couldn't?"

"That." Sora replied, pointing at Natsume's D-Scanner. "Mom had the digiegg of light. Dad had the Spirits of light. What do I get? Darkness. Do you have any idea how disappointed they were in me? Only he understood..."

"Kouji?" Natsume gasped. "He wasn't! His brother carried the Darkness Spirits! They were both happy! Wait, you don't think that this was some generational thing, do you?" Then something occurred to her. "Wait...'he'? Who's 'he'?"

"Never you mind. My family's got light coming out of its freaking EARS, and I get the wrong spirit." She snarled. "And mom liked you more than me, anyway."

"That's stupid!" Natsume replied.

"SHUT UP! It ALL makes sense now! They must be DANCING IN THE STREETS, knowing that little Natsume Motomiya, darling of the digidestined, is off to slay the evil Sora Kamiy-"

SLAP! Natsume stepped back, having delivered a smack that could have jarred teeth loose. "That's what this is all about? Some prissy crybaby hissyfit?" Natsume was incredulous. "All that pain YOU caused, all the destruction...because you didn't get your own way?" She tried to continue, but stopped. Sora, face still red, was wrapped in a black miasma.

"You wouldn't understand." Sora said, voice barely a whisper. Then she shot forward, hands out like claws, and tried to grab Natsume. Startled, Natsume was knocked over, Sora's hands reaching for her throat, held back by Natsume's.

She was better with a sword, but Natsume was able to handle herself in unarmed fighting. Two knee strikes forced Sora to relent enough for Natsume to shove the Empress off of her. Giving into her own rage and frustration, Natsume jumped on Sora, intent on beating the girl unconscious and dragging her back home.

She didn't notice the black miasma grow more solid.

Sora felt the surge of power, got up, and charged Natsume, slamming the girl into the wall. "I'll kill you." she growled, pushing harder.

Roaring, Natsume brought her head up, and down on Sora's own forehead, dizzying both of the combatants. Recovering first, Natsume shoulder-checked Sora, then tackled her, sending her to the ground.

"Just QUIT IT!" Natsume shouted.

"NEVER!" Sora shrieked. She hurled Natsume off, then took her D-Scanner out. "If I have to be evil, then let me be the ultimate evil! Spirit Evolution...Duskmon!"

"Spirit Evolution...Wolfmon!" Light and Dark hybrids charged at each other, an unconscious mirror of the prior wielders' first meeting. A red blade swung low, but was blocked by a blade of pure light. A second saber swung high, but was dodged, Duskmon's body already wrapping itself in black miasma. Neither warrior said anything. No curses, insults, pleas, or attacks were uttered.

The two fought for several minutes, before Duskmon, unable to gain an advantage, suddenly rolled back. Finally, he called out a technique. "Hell's Shadow!" The room was blacked out.

"Wha-AHH!" Wolfmon cried, as one of Duskmon's blades found it's mark, tearing a gash between her shoulder blades. Another strike, then another, and another. Natsume, human again, fell to the ground, barely conscious.

"I guess..." Sora panted, "I should be glad you're here. Now we get to finish you off, with my own hands."

Dazed as she was, Natsume did catch the mixed tenses. "'We' get? Who...who did this to you."

"You did." As she spoke, a pair of Dark Wings appeared around her. (That wasn't a subtle hint. Really. I mean it! -ed). With a wild cry, the still digivolved human sprang forward, blood-red hands reaching for Natsume. She barely rolled out of the way, managing to force herself to her feet. Natsume staggered, trying to figure out how to stop Sora. "All of you...all of you did this to me. But that's okay. I'll just take this Digital World and go somewhere else. DIE NATSUME!"

"IRON REAVER!" An oversized scimitar blocked the dark energy blast. Natsume gasped as a blue and white digimon landed between her and Duskmon. "Young lady," Kogamon challenged, "it's time for you to grow up and come home." Natsume could hear the grin in the wolf digimon's voice. "Hey, Natsume. Daichi was worried, so he wanted me to check on you. Rika's still outside too." A pause. "Hey, you gonna let her in, or is she gonna have to go Jet Valkyriemon on the place?"

"So, the gang's all here?" Duskmon growled.

"Nahh. Evan got grounded last week, remember?" The grin vanished. "I mean it, Sora, come home. We'll undo whatever got done to you."

Duskmon's reply was with a Geist Sniper. The black energy beams shot out, aimed right for Kogamon's heart. There was a metallic clash. "Die!"

Kogamon's grin returned. "Y'know, I'm getting a little tired of these little hissy fits of yours, princess." Duskmon bristled. "I'm also getting tired of this thing here. BACKLASH WAVE!" he howled, sending the energy pulse right back at Duskmon. The Dark hybrid was thrown backwards, shimmered, and became Sora Kamiya again. "Too easy." Kogamon chuckled.

"I softened her up." Natsume growled. "Just because Daichi has that magic Onmyou Digivice of his..." The rest of her gripe was cut off as digicode exploded out of the wall Sora was knocked into. It flowed into Sora, lifting her off the ground. "What...what is that?"

"The accumulated power...of the Dark Domes...IS MINE NOW! DOUBLE SPIRIT EVOLUTION... GRAN REICHMON!" The A-Hybrid was massive, much larger than the Reichmon that the original Chosen Children had had to face. The large pike held in one hand was rimmed with black energy. With a primal scream, the hybrid brought the pike around, and slammed it into the ground.

**Outside the dome**

Outside, Rika gasped as the center of the dome cracked, then split open, revealing Gran Reichmon, easily recognizable at this distance. Her D-Comm bleeped. "Daichi?"

"Rika! What's happening?" Daichi asked, face appearing on the small screen. "I just picked up a massive energy surge!"

"I think Sora mananged to Double Spirit Evolve. I'm going in, Kogamon and Natsume are outmatched!"

"Rika, wait-"

"Double Spirit Evolution...JET VALKYRIEMON!" With a roar of jet engines, the Wind Hybrid took off, shooting towards Gran Reichmon.

"Did you ever tell aunt Hitomi you could do that?" Daichi asked (Note: His aunt, not hers).

"Only honorary uncle Kenta knows, for now. I'll tell mom after this." Rika's voice answered. "Gotta go, busy."

**Dome Ruins**

"Spirit Evolution...Garmmon!" Natsume's Beast form jumped off a pile of rubble; Gran Reichmon's attack had wrecked the place, and managed to knock out all of the creatures serving her. Digivolving wasn't really a major problem right now, then. A beam of light shot out of Garmmon's mouth and struck the lion's head emblem, with little effect. She winced as a loud CRACK echoed through the remains of the base. A piece of Gran Reichmon's ornamental 'wings' had been cut off, and landed by her.

Glancing up, she saw Jet Valkyriemon. Natsume had always envied her younger sister; Rika had claimed that she had gained a lot of her skills as a digidestined from her namesake. The elder Rika, for her part, did nothing to dispute the claim. Jet Valkyriemon waved, dodged a swing, and let off another Diamond Lance.

A bolt of light shot out of Garmmon's mouth, striking the massive Gran Reichmon. She then charged forward, using the wings to make several slashing attacks.

"ENOUGH!" Gran Reichmon scowled. Her arms came down; a shockwave, laced with several bolts of dark energy, exploded out of her, throwing the other two hybrids and Kogamon away. "It's time to end the Motomiya line."

"Sorry, Daichi's not here." Kogamon snarled, summoning all the power he could into his sword. "Iron Reaver!"

"FOOL!" Reichmon's spear came around, blocking the attack and sending it back.

"Double fool on You, Sora! BACKLASH WAVE!" Kogamon's sword reflected -that- attack. Exponentially stronger now, it tore the spear from Gran Reichmon's' grasp, snapping the weapon in two. He knelt, glowing and shrinking. "That...took all my power. It's up to you to finish this..." an exhausted Veemon said, staggering back. Garmmon laid down a withering hail of laser blasts to cover the digimon's retreat.

"It doesn't matter. I'm still stronger then the two of you are. We WILL destroy you!"

Jet Valkyriemon landed by Garmmon. "'I' or 'we'...MAKE A DECISION! Geez, you always were the wishy washy one!"

"That's it, make her mad." Garmmon sighed. She certainly got her namesake's wit, Natsume decided.

"SHUT UP! BLACK VORTEX!" A small tornado appeared, the narrow end stabbing at the two hybrids. Garmmon was caught, and thrown away. As she struggled up, Jet Valkyriemon landed in a heap beside her.

"So...what set her off?" the wind hybrid asked.

"Don't know...don't care. Slide Evolution...Wolfmon!" Wolfmon staggered a bit, and got up. "There. Being Garmmon...gahh, never feels right, y'know?" Jet Valkyriemon nodded. "Someday, you have to show me how to double spirit evolve. Assuming mom doesn't ground us both when she finds out."

"Umm...Natsume? She already knows."

"Huh...Daichi spilled everything again, didn't he?" Wolfmon groaned. In addition to being highly intelligent, Daichi was an even worse liar than Natsume and Rika's father. And Hiroki was pretty bad to begin with.

"Yeah. I kinda got here by promising to bring you back." Jet Valkyriemon shrugged. "It wasn't a lie. I just want to bring Sora back at the same time too." With that, she took off, flying right at the giant digimon. Wolfmon nodded, and started making her way to the fight, firing light blasts from her arm cannon every few seconds.

It went downhill quickly; Jet Valkyriemon was caught by one of Gran Reichmon's backhands, and was again knocked to the ground, this time losing her digivolution. Wolfmon tried to get to her, but was blocked by Gran Reichmon's attacks. Then a blast of darkness from the mouth on Gran Reichmon's chestplate sent Wolfmon to the ground, still digivolved but unable to move. The 'wings' on Gran Reichmon's back glowed, charging up for one final attack. There was an earsplitting howl, as energy from each of the prongs on the metal wings shot off, and streaked down towards Wolfmon.

"NATSUME!" Rika screamed. Horrified, she watched as the bolts tore into her sister, blinding her for a second.

"F...finally...i killed her.." Gran Reichmon said in a small voice. "i won...didn't i...?" (Note: the 'i' is deliberate. -ed) She stopped, seeing that the ball of light that had consumed Natsume was not dissipating. "No...no, it can't be!"

Out of the ball of energy, a heavily upgunned and armored Wolfmon shot out, double-bladed sword aimed right at Gran Reichmon's chest (If you've seen the Strike Rouge with the I.W.S.P. attachment from Gundam SeeD, that's what Strike Wolfmon looks like. Just add in the Sword Strike's sword. And it's silver, not pink. -ed).

"SORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Strike Wolfmon screamed, shooting right through the giant hybrid. She landed several yards away, and turned around.

Gran Reichmon staggered, a pit of swirling black filling where the hole was. Her form shimmered, vanished, and was replaced by the small, unconscious form of Sora Kamiya, tangle of black hair wafting in the wind. Strike Wolfmon smiled as she saw Rika evolve to Fairymon and gently lower the girl to the ground. Then she looked up, and saw the dark miasma.

It resolved into a large, gangly demon in black leather. Devimon snarled at Strike Wolfmon, ignoring Sora and Fairymon. "So close. That girl would have been my means of escape. No matter, though. I have absorbed enough of her power. She was so easy to lure to me...so disappointed over her not having those precious light toys you carry around."

"Why?" Strike Wolfmon demanded.

"Oh, I was aiming for that boy, the one my first killer is descended from, but I suppose beggars can't be choosers. Oh well. I'll just kill you three and take the Darkness, Light, and Wind spirits for myself." Fairymon's Brezza Petalo slammed into him. He ignored it, and pinned Fairymon to the ground with an outstretched hand. "Shut up."

Strike Wolfmon gasped. "You...you're the Devimon that the original digidestined faced...the one TK destroyed."

"Yes, but I got better. Now," he said, free hand gesturing and summoning dozens of Black Gears, "now I shall destroy you all! ATTACK!"

The light hybrid parried every Gear sent at her. They ignored Fairymon; Devimon decided that she wasn't a threat. That left-

Sora howled in pain as several Black Gears entered her. "Sora!" Strike Wolfmon called.

"She is mine. My PUPPET! Now rise and assist me!" Devimon watched as Sora got up, twitching uncontrollably as the Black Gears filled her with evil energy, attempting to corrupt her spirit.

"No."

Devimon stopped for a second, staring at Sora. "Wh...what?"

Sora stopped shaking, her body standing utterly still. She spoke, but IT wasn't really Sora; it was as if someone else had taken over for the girl. "I will no longer be your puppet, Devimon."

"You DARE-"

"You are a fool. You assume Darkness and Evil are the same thing. They aren't. Spirit Evolution...Shadow Zalemon!"

Strike Wolfmon blinked as Sora evolved. The new form was...well, it was Sora, dressed in black armor. There were a pair of massive blades clamped onto her arms, on a hinged mount just under the wrist. She looked a bit like Alita from those old Battle Angel graphic novels her great uncle Davis had. Sora had always liked those stories, Natsume remembered.

"This is impossible! You are filled with MY POWER! MY EVIL!"

"No. I am filled with darkness. Darkness is not evil. Evil just needs Darkness to look tough." The forearm blades swung forward, clicking into position. DONNER KUNST!" The black hybrid seemed to ripple out of sight, then reappeared, landing several painful slices on Devimon's arm, freeing Fairymon. Then she jumped on the arm, ran up it, hopped off, and slid down Devimon's chest, using her armblades as anchors. Devimon howled in agony as the skull emblem on his chest was shredded. "NOW" Shadow Zalemon called.

The jets on Strike Wolfmon's back lit up, and the light hybrid was carried up to Devimon's eye level. The sword split down the middle, the open area crackling with energy. The cannons on her shoulders and at her sides hummed as they gathered power. "Meteor...ASSAULT!" What followed was about ten seconds of blinding, deafening energy blasts as Strike Wolfmon poured every bit of energy she could spare at Devimon.

The assault ended, and all that was left was a small floating head. "You...you'll pay for this." Demi Devimon promised.

"Like HECK!" Jet Valkyriemon (Rika having double spirit evolved while Strike Wolfmon was playing 'SDF-1 Reflex Cannon' with Devimon -ed) cried, flying up and bisecting Demidevimon with her sword. Quickly spinning around, she then impaled the small demon on three Diamond Lances, cried 'Nibelung Valesti!" and finished him off with a massive rune-lance wings glowing white.

"AND DON'T COME BACK!"

**Stone Town**

The triangle-shaped portal glowed, and opened. Everyone watched as first Veemon, then Rika exited. "We got her." she said to the assembled crowd. The portal beeped and expanded, allowing Strike Wolfmon, carrying the unconscious body of Sora Kamiya out of the Digital World, D-Scanner resting on her stomach.

"Sora!" Ryoko cried, running forward and taking her daughter from Strike Wolfmon's arms. Kouji and Nichol, Sora's younger brother, ran just behind her, too scared to see what condition Sora was in.

"We saw what happened." Kyoko said to Strike Wolfmon. "That was...it was really the same Devimon?"

"Yes. Where's-"

"On his way. TK and Crystal aren't as young as they used to be. We aren't either, Natsume." She glanced at Daichi, holding an exhausted Veemon in his arms. "I think you took a few decades off your mother's life with that stunt."

"I should ground you." Hitomi said to Strike Wolfmon. "We said that you shouldn't go chasing off after Sora on your own."

"Mooooom." Strike Wolfmon groaned.

"Ahh...Natsume?" Hiroki Motomiya cut in. "Could you...you know...?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry." There was a flash of light, and Natsume Motomiya was standing there, looking worn out. Rika joined her. "I guess I finally did it."

"Yeah, congrats!" Rika said. "And that's an awesome digivolution."

"Ahem." Hitomi said to her two daughters.

"Dear." Hiroki said to his wife. "Really?"

Hitomi smiled "Fine. No digivolving for a week."

"Fine. I don't think I can THINK for a week."

**1 Week later**

The domes had all vanished with Devimon's defeat. Natsume and Rika managed to get out of Kendo classes (Yohko Tachikawa being a much nicer teacher than Hiroki...) in order to visit Sora, resting at home. Ryoko and Kouji, still looking drawn, welcomed them in. Nichol was out at piano practice (his way of dealing with everything).

Natsume knocked. The door was open, so she and Rika entered.

"Come to gloat?"

"Nahh. We just wanted to see how you were doing." Rika said, cutting off Natsume's reply.

"I tried to kill you and destroy the digital world. How do you THINK I'm doing?"

Rika shrugged. "Pretty good, all considered. Look, we know it was all Devimon-"

"No. He was pushing, yeah, but...a part of me enjoyed it."

"So?" Natsume asked. "I've wanted to belt Rally."

"It's not. The. Same." Sora insisted. "I was enjoying it. I wanted..." she started sobbing. "I wanted...to kill you...and I...I..." Natsume and Rika held Sora while she cried.

After a few minutes, Natsume looked at Sora. "Let's get out of here."

"Huh?"

"Come on." Rika nodded, warming to the idea. She glanced at the computer in the corner of Sora's room. "I heard that the guys in the Frontier digital world are totally hot."

"But-"

"Relax." Rika added. "We'll be there if you go all evil and stuff."

"Oh? You're not staying to wait for Nichol?" Natsume asked.

"Shut up!" Rika replied, blushing.

Five minutes later, Ryoko opened the door to Sora's room. "Sora?" She glanced a the bed, seeing a note.

_Mrs. Kamiya-_

_Took Sora to the Frontier Digital World to go boy-hunting. Back soon_

_Natsume and Rika._

_PS: Tell Nichol that Rika said 'yes.'_

Ryoko looked at the note, then at the active computer screen, and smiled.

(ED: 'Bye bye my Crisis' - BGC 8: Scoop Chase)

Digicross - Tales of The Digidestined

'Dancing in the light'

Starring:

Natsume Motomiya as Wolfmon/Garmmon/Strike Wolfmon

Rika Motomiya as Fairymon/Jet Valkyriemon

Sora Kamiya as Duskmon/Gran Reichmon/Shadow Zalemon

Veemon as Kogamon

Daichi Motomiya as the resident genius

Ryoko and Kouji Kamiya

Nichol Kamiya

Hitomi and Hiroki Motomiya

Written by: Patrick O'Shea

With Ideas and Inspiration from: Inu Yasha (Rumiko Takahashi), Gundam SeeD (Bandai), Battle Angel Alita (Yukito Kashira), .hack/SIGN (Bandai), Kyle Evanick, Pokemon (Satoshi Tajiri), Digimon (Bandai?) Magic Knights Rayearth (CLAMP), everyone on the Digicross Mailing list, and anyone who's ever said Nice Things (tm) about what I've written to date.

Kyle and June Motomiya were, regrettably, not present, they being on their nth honeymoon when it all happened. Kyle apologized profusely for this, and was promptly smacked in the head by June. He seems to enjoy it.

Ain't love grand?


End file.
